Microbes and Us

            Microbes have been around for a very long time, and are mostly considered as harmful disease causing germs. It is now recently understood by scientists that some microbes are dangerous but others are beneficial to the human body. It is known that the human body is made up of cells but there are “10 times as many bacterial cells as human cells,” (Jozefowicz). That is where the Human Microbiome Project comes into play; this study is to trying to learn more about all the microbes living on and in the human body.

            The researchers are knowledgeable about microbes and the human body, but are trying to figure out if all humans carry the same microbes. The project will focus on microbes on skin and intestines. The author does no state what humans they are testing because location, climate, and culture could play a factor in which microbes grow on and in the human body. I would have liked to be introduced to what factors play a role in affecting which microbes grow on humans.

          The author states that the Human Microbiome Project tested five different elbows, and found 113 groups of bacteria. They found harmful microbes and beneficial bacteria in the crook of the elbow. The author does not tell his audience if all five elbows carried all 113 microbes. The project does show that microbes found in the inside of the elbow and microbes found on the forearm are significantly different. The researchers believe that “’even two areas that are very close together physically can have very different ecosystems,’” (Jozefowicz). The author did not answer the question of whether or not the environment that the human(s) are living in affects which microbe(s) will inhabit the human body.

            Overall, the research of microbes is an ongoing project and will take time to answer all the questions. It is understood that microbes are all around the human world including in and on our bodies. Some are harmful and others are friendly and help us continue our daily lives. Microbial ecology is a complex science with many researches on the job, trying to understand the dynamics of the tiny inhabitants.

 

Image: www.economist.com 

article: http://ehis.ebscohost.com.libproxy.unm.edu/ehost/detail?vid=13&sid=09ce2291-6f37-4cfb-afb1-75dd2cd7d5fd%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=35338495