The Human Body: Teeming (or Teaming?) with Bacteria

The human body is a host to an amazing amount of microbes. In fact, the microbial cells that call your body home vastly outnumber your own body’s cells! The bacteria in our digestive tract have evolved to live in that one location, and they are essential to our health. However, the genetic make-up of the GI bacteria differs from one person to the next, so it creates a great degree of diversity and unpredictability. In addition, the bacteria in our guts evolve much more quickly than we do, which means the bacteria in your gut can change throughout your lifetime and they may have contributed to humans’ ability to digest new diets related to the invention of agriculture. The New York Times, July 21, 2009 
2009-08-04 19:26:07