I love microbiology. Its a broad diverse mysteriously fascinating subject. What is the fundamental core of microbiology? well microorganisms, such as bacteria! These guys have a bad rep..they are primarily known for all the infections and diseases..which is fair but they also need to be recognized for there vital role in the sustenance of our very own ecosystem and existence. Bacteria are the oldest living microorganisms on earth, these single celled organisms have learned to thrived and adapt to our changing climate. Their goal in life is to quantify, and in that process they have established fascinating interactions with their environment, and other organisms, such as ourselves: Humans.
Generally, the human race is a very proud race. We claim to be the smartest, the best evolution has to offer right? but who really is responsible for our smarts..lets dig into science a bit. In general, there are about 10x more bacterial cells than human cells on our bodies...which in terms of DNA, our genetic code for existence, well to quote Bonnie Bassler "you have 100x more bacterial genes playing a role in you or on you all your life." So that make us about 10% human and about 90% bacterial. Mind=blown...these bacteria that thrive on us should not be taken for granted. They are the caretakers of our very existence. They protect us, help us digest our food, supply us with nutrition, constantly upgrading and educating our immune system, warding off pathogenic microbes..all in a days work while maintaining an intricate balance to keep us healthy. So the real workers behind our smarts, I would argue are bacteria...if we didnt have them...well we simply wouldn't exist.
I could go on forever so in conclusion..I'll leave you with this picture:
Have a great day from your friendly neighborhood microbiologists ;)
-Mira
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