The Zoo Within Us 1683 – Unable to Deny the Invisible: Microbiota

Even healthy bodies contain a vast zoo of microbes that affect our health (today we call this the microbiota ). The right balance and functioning of this diverse ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and viruses may provide relief for diseases ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to various skin conditions. Interestingly, our bodies contain at least ten times as many of these tiny microbes (mostly in our intestines) as human cells, allowing our individual bodies to act as "superorganisms" of interacting species that collectively affect our well-being (current research suggests that our microbiota contains 1.5-3 times as many cells as human cells, corresponding to 35 - 100 trillion). One of the earliest discoveries of this microbiome zoo occurred in 1683, when Dutch microbiologist Anton van Leeuwenhoek used his homemade microscope to examine scrapings of his own dental plaque and, to his amazement, found "little living animals, moving very delightfully".

Note: Microbiome refers to all the genetic information (genomes) of microorganisms in a particular environment. Microbiota is the community of microorganisms. Humans have 30 trillion human cells and 20 thousand genes in our DNA. By contrast, approximately 35 trillion microbiota cells live with us in our bodies, while the microbiota is estimated to have around 2 million genes.

Beneficial and harmful microbes are typically found on and in the skin, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, vagina, nose, and various other openings. More than 500 bacterial species live in the human intestines, prompting researchers to regard this population as a "virtual organ".

The organisms in our intestines can help digest food, produce vitamins for our bodies, and prevent the growth of harmful species by helping to ferment food. Such bacteria rapidly colonize a baby's intestines from birth. Researchers are studying the possible role of different bacterial populations in intestinal diseases (such as ulcerative colitis), tumor formation, and obesity. Researchers have also demonstrated the importance of microbial diversity in the progression of cystic fibrosis (a genetic disease that can cause scarring in the lungs) and continue to study the microbial zoo's possible roles in influencing eczema, psoriasis, Parkinson's, diabetes, and disease severity.

Doctors and patients using helminthic (a type of parasite) therapy experiment with the deliberate infestation of the intestines with helminths (parasitic worms such as hookworms and whipworms), which in some cases may play a beneficial role in improving inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and asthma. They also try this for some skin conditions, helping the body's immune system by regulating its functioning.

Description of the article image: An electron micrograph of a cluster of sausage-shaped E. coli bacteria. E. coli normally colonizes a baby's gastrointestinal tract within one or two days of birth.

Historical figures mentioned in the article: Anton Philips van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723)

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