TIL that there are more non-human cells in your body than there are human cells. In a human body there are around 30 trillion human cells, but the microbiome (bacteria, viruses & fungi that live on and in us) is an estimated 39 trillion cells.

Immunologist here! So, for our sake in the medical world, we call all cells in the human body “the Human Biome” and consider them part of us, for simplicity. We need our biome to live, our (human) cells depend on them for basic regulatory functions, like the small intestine. Without them, we miss a crucial function, and it can kill us. So, when we say “human body” we actually mean all the organisms that make up you. The technical term is “Human Biome” but most people, including us doctors, find it easier to just say “the human body”

chrisaed

We are not just our selves, we are an intricate ecosystem!

Fritzkreig

Well they best start paying their share of the mortgage.

DennisJay

Never alone. Full of friends.

Bahamabanana

That’s very well and good, but I’m curious what the biomass comparison would look like.

AnAdvancedBot