Microbes That Keep Us Healthy Starting To Die Off 260
Dr_Ken writes with a quote from Scientific American:
"The human body has some 10 trillion human cells—but 10 times that number of microbial cells. So what happens when such an important part of our bodies goes missing? With rapid changes in sanitation, medicine and lifestyle in the past century, some of these indigenous species are facing decline, displacement and possibly even extinction. In many of the world's larger ecosystems, scientists can predict what might happen when one of the central species is lost, but in the human microbial environment—which is still largely uncharacterized—most of these rapid changes are not yet understood. 'This is the next frontier and has real significance for human health, public health and medicine,' says Betsy Foxman, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor. Meanwhile, each new generation in developed countries comes into the world with fewer of these native populations. 'They're actually missing some component of their microbiota that they've evolved to have,' Foxman says."
I for one... (Score:4, Funny)
am saddened by the death of our microbial overlords (or underlords as the case may be).
Re:They're very useful... (Score:2, Funny)
Eat at White Castle (Score:3, Funny)
Consuming a few "sliders" will re-populate lots of gastro-intestinal things.
Re:I for one... (Score:2, Funny)
George Carlin thread! (Score:2, Funny)
We swam in the Hudson..." [videosift.com] (video)
R.I.P. funnyman.
Re:mother nature (Score:3, Funny)
we now live in a world with Sissies who can't take life's discomforts like there parents.
Apparently, they also cannot spell like their parents did, either.
Re:Probiotic supplements (Score:5, Funny)
more fun than eating dirt: mud wrestling with members of the opposite sex (or same sex, if that's the way you roll)
The Five-Second Rule... (Score:5, Funny)
...now has scientific backing. Go ahead, pick up that chip that fell on the floor and eat it. When someone gives you a look, just tell them you are maintaining a healthy microbial diversity.
Re:Easy solution (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Of cycles and balances... (Score:3, Funny)
I ran the numbers on the growth rate of a puppy. In 100 years it will be too large for the solar system and will destroy it.