Final answer:
Competitive exclusion is the process that prevents overgrowth of harmful microbes by allowing one species to outcompete another for the same resources thereby stopping the potential pathogens from establishing in the same niche.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that helps prevent the overgrowth of harmful microbes when they compete to occupy the same space, produce acids, or produce bacteriocins is known as competitive exclusion. When considering the context of microbial interactions in preventing overgrowth of harmful microbes, competitive exclusion plays a crucial role. It relies on the principle that no two species can coexist when they compete for the same resources at the same place and time. This principle is widely observed in microbial communities, such as the skin microbiota, which includes bacteria like Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes. These bacteria produce bacteriocins that specifically target and eliminate potential pathogens without affecting their own populations, ultimately leading to the survival of non-harmful commensals or mutualistic bacteria.
An example of mutualism can be seen with Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, which lives in the human gut and helps digest complex polysaccharides that human enzymes cannot, providing valuable nutrients in return. On the other hand, commensalism is observed with species like Staphylococcus epidermidis, which utilizes dead skin cells without harming or providing direct benefits to the host.