How Bacteria in Our Bodies Protect Our Health
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ultimate-social-network-bacteria-protects-health
Researchers who study the friendly bacteria that live inside all of us are starting to sort out who is in charge—microbes or people?
By Jennifer Ackerman | May 15, 2012 |
Image: Bryan Christie
In Brief
- Bacterial cells in the body outnumber human cells by a factor of 10 to 1. Yet only recently have researchers begun to elucidate the beneficial roles these microbes play in fostering health.
- Some of these bacteria possess genes that encode for beneficial compounds that the body cannot make on its own. Other bacteria seem to train the body not to overreact to outside threats.
- Advances in computing and gene sequencing are allowing investigators to create a detailed catalogue of all the bacterial genes that make up this so-called microbiome.
- Unfortunately, the inadvertent destruction of beneficial microbes by the use of antibiotics, among other things, may be leading to an increase in autoimmune disorders and obesity.
Supplemental Material
Overview Explore the Human Microbiome [Interactive] 
Overview Swapping Germs: Should Fecal Transplants Become Routine for Debilitating Diarrhea? 
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