Our Marvelous Microbes

We cohabitate with trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms—and that’s a good thing

Our immune system works in concert with an ecosystem of microbes living inside of us. sdecoret/Shutterstock

Each human is an ecosystem, and we play host to countless microscopic life forms. As strange as it may sound if you’re not a microbiologist, our bacteria are an integral part of who we are, participating in nearly every aspect of our health.

My mother was a preeminent scientist who held the microbial world in high esteem, and I had the unusual experience of learning since I was a child that we should appreciate microbes. My mom used to talk to my three older brothers and me about how disappointing it is that we humans malign bacteria and misunderstand their importance. She explained that, rather than being invisible and evil purveyors of disease, bacteria are actually essential for us humans to live and be healthy.

Bacteria Balance

Most of us associate bacteria with infections, and see them as our enemies. We have to wash these “dirty germs” off our bodies, scrub them from every surface, and sterilize our food to keep it safe. We obsessively use antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers, and take antibiotics to combat infections. When I wiped the curdled milk from under the many folds of fat in my baby daughter’s pudgy neck, I always worried about the places where there was some redness, indicating that she had the beginnings of a rash caused by “bad bacteria.”