Microbiome

The human microbiota consists of the 10-100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells harbored by each person, primarily bacteria in the gut; the human microbiome consists of the genes these cells harbor.

Your body’s microbiome is all the genes your microbiota contains, however colloquially the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.

The microbiome creates the immediate environment for our genes as they play out their part in disease mechanisms.

Yes, there are microbes everywhere and most are just fine for us, perhaps even beneficial to our microbiomes and immune systems. We don’t care about those.

For your community of microbes— your 'microbiome' — your body is a planet.