100 trillion bacteria in your body , a good thing

The human body is inhabited by kinds of bacteria and microorganisms — for every cell, there are around 10 resident microbes, which form on the surface of your skin, on your tongue, and deep inside your body. But bacteria in or on a body are good to human and may help digest food or absorb nutrients.

As research into the human microbiome continues to develop, scientists are discovering how a person's appetite, physical and mental development, and resistance to disease can be affected by such microorganisms. In a revealing New York Times article, University of California professor Michael Pollan highlights the most recent research into the 100 trillion bacteria that help form our "metagenome" — explaining how our immune systems are shaped the minute we are born, why antibiotic use can lead to chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes, and illustrating how the microbiomes of rural inhabitants in West Africa are almost identical to the indigenous people of Venezuela. Know more www.oalib.com