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After looking up how long germs live for on surface, I came across lots of resources that explain how long germs live on different surfaces.

A common pattern is that germs survive longer on cold/hard surfaces than on skin.

Why is that?

Wouldn't skin be a much more hospitable environment than something like a desk?

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    $\begingroup$ I'm pretty sure that will vary a lot from a surface to another. Can you please develop stating what surface you are talking about and also linked to your sources. $\endgroup$
    – Remi.b
    Aug 18, 2017 at 22:00
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    $\begingroup$ Not only will it vary from surface to surface, but will vary with microorganisms as well. I think this is too broad. If you can narrow it down to one microorganism, or provide your source, this might be better. $\endgroup$
    – anongoodnurse
    Aug 19, 2017 at 14:58

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because some skin cells which are alive , secret fat and other materials , these materials make the skin acidic , and acidic environment is not good for many germs , on the other hand , there is an enzyme in sweat (lysozyme)which destroy the wall of bacteria

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    $\begingroup$ Source, please? $\endgroup$
    – anongoodnurse
    Aug 19, 2017 at 11:42
  • $\begingroup$ My explanation is partly mentioned in ,junqueira basic histology , chapter skin , part protection and sweat glands , but the whole explanation exists in a book which was taugt in my college and that is not a reference book, unfortunately. $\endgroup$
    – minasi
    Aug 19, 2017 at 12:04
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    $\begingroup$ You might be an ESL (so am I) but please note that in english (and in most other language using the lating alphabeth), sentences start with a capitalize letter and end with a dot. Comas are not preceded by a space and closing parenthesis are followed by a space. Don't forget to conjugate your verbs (destroy). I think you meant secrete and not secret. we dont write like dis on StackExchange. The term germ is never use in Biology. I suppose you meant pathogens. $\endgroup$
    – Remi.b
    Aug 19, 2017 at 15:22
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    $\begingroup$ Ok, thanks for your attention. I will be more careful next time. $\endgroup$
    – minasi
    Aug 19, 2017 at 16:04
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    $\begingroup$ @minasi Btw, if english is not your mother tongue, I'd be curious what language actually puts spaces before commas. $\endgroup$
    – Remi.b
    Aug 20, 2017 at 0:26
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Some of the permanent microbial flora inhabiting the skin protects the host from other pathogens. The complex host– microbe and microbe–microbe interactions that exist on the surface of human skin illustrate that the microbiota have a beneficial role, much like that of the gut microflora. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2746716/

It is apparent that just as host immunological factors and behaviors shape the composition of these communities, microbes present on the skin greatly impact the functions of human immunity. Thus, today the skin immune system should be considered a collective mixture of elements from the host and microbes acting in a mutualistic relationship. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4219649/

Eccrine sweat glands secrete water to the surface of the skin. The water also contains salt and electrolytes which work to acidify the skin. This makes the skin a cool, dry, and slightly acidic barrier.

Furthermore, eccrine sweat glands constitutively express several antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including cathelicidin and β-defensins. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16374474

Together, these factors are the reason why a desk would be more hospitable for some microbes

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