The Unsung Heroes Within: How Tiny Aliens Keep Us Alive and Kicking
The billions of bacteria living in and on our bodies are the closest thing to aliens we’ll ever have the pleasure—or misfortune—of hosting. They’re foreign travelers with their own peculiar habits and genes, but they’ve been riding along with us for so long they might as well be family. They’re not just hitchhikers; they’re indispensable co-workers keeping the whole human machine from falling apart. The Little Critters in Charge You see, these bacteria, collectively called the microbiome, outnumber our own cells and carry ten times as much genetic material as we do. Their DNA isn’t ours, and yet we … Continue readingThe Unsung Heroes Within: How Tiny Aliens Keep Us Alive and Kicking