ABSTRACT
The vaginal ecosystem is a complex biosphere, made up of a variety of constituents existing in a delicate equilibrium. The ecosystem contains many types of bacteria that are constantly secreting and releasing metabolic products such as acids, carbohydrates, and proteins, and cellular debris from the disruption of dying bacterial cells like nucleic acids, fatty acids, and sugars. The host is also constantly secreting metabolic products and cellular debris into this ecosystem.
