The other 99% of our DNA is the microbiome. 38 trillion microorganisms in the colon alone.

Even in terms of our cells, there are 30 trillion human cells in our entire bodies, but 38 trillion non-human cells in the colon alone.

In the 1990's we didn't have enough computing power to analyse the microbiome data in our poo. Now we do, and the implications are stunning. Transfer an obese humans poo to a mouse, and the mouse gets obese. 😵

No organism on the planet is without a microbiome. Bacteria mostly but also fungus, and not forgetting what is believed to be the oldest organism on the planet, namely Archaea, an anaerobic organism that was around even before the planet had oxygen.

Research is demonstrating that the microbiome is absolutely essential for human health and in fact human beings would be better described as a "super organism" a collection of organisms in a mutually beneficial collective.

Even the female birth canal plays a role in a human babies future health, by changing its microbiome to the perfect microbiome for a babies gut. Passing on that gift at the moment of birth.

For anyone as fascinated by this stuff as me, I'd recomend the Zoe podcast. Science based, research based information from world renowned experts.

Look after you microbiome people. 

 

Edited October 17, 20223 yr by martin-w

Well, no wonder I'm a walking methane explosion! 🙃  Good thing, though!  The planet I come from uses flatulence and tap dancing for communication.  Oh, oh!  I feel a speech coming on! 🤨

There are more viruses in the universe then their are stars, we are a host and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, only our egos make us think we are worth more 🤣

Edited October 18, 20223 yr by Matthew Kane

26 minutes ago, Matthew Kane said:

There are more viruses in the universe then their are stars

 

More viruses  in the "observable" universe than on Earth you mean. 

23 hours ago, charliearon said:

Well, no wonder I'm a walking methane explosion! 🙃  Good thing, though!  The planet I come from uses flatulence and tap dancing for communication.  Oh, oh!  I feel a speech coming on! 🤨

So if I get any discount coupons for Taco Bell, send them to you?  😁

I've always thought about this, it's amazing and makes me wonder if panspermia is real.

Apparently (The Aviator movie), Howard Hughes was running from germs last decades of life.

2 hours ago, Fielder said:

Apparently (The Aviator movie), Howard Hughes was running from germs last decades of life.

 

No joking matter.

I've suffered from OCD, like Hughes, from the age of 8. OCD is in the top 5 most debilitating mental illnesses according to the WHO. My OCD has been dreadful over the years, and I struggle to keep it under control every day. So I have a good idea what kind of hell Howard Hughes went through. 

I'm sure you can imagine how the currant trend to refer to being a bit fussy as "I'm a bit OCD" makes me grit my teeth. 🙄 

You make some good points. I  was too flippant about Hughes.

The movie, news reports, writings all make me highly respectful of Howard Hughes. I  think he sort of looks like Thomas Dewey. And they both are sort of heroes to me. Simply because both were  powerful enemies of organized crime as was Theodore Roosevelt when he was police commissioner in New York City. I think it's almost fair to say that Hughes kicked the mafia mob out of Las Vegas. They're always still around, but they don't run Las Vegas as they did before Hughes sort of took control of the city. Big time crime families don't care about anything except themselves. 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:05 AM, martin-w said:

 

More viruses  in the "observable" universe than on Earth you mean. 

It is time to eradicate those pesky viruses out of the true Earthlings on Earth, those viruses that keep evading the real Earthing's...

 

LOL! Some Earthlings have taken the initiative to eradicating those pests, sacrificing their own lives to permanently destroy them in horrific collisions... </snark>