outsource many services to our microbiome. It’s able to
provide these services in part because it represents genetic
material nearly one hundred times as complex as our own
(relatively rudimentary) genome of twenty-three thousand
genes. This makes the microbiome capable of a wide range
of functions—from keeping our immune systems healthy to
extracting calories from food to synthesizing important
chemicals like vitamins.
It might not seem obvious, but the gut and brain have a
very close relationship as well. Our microbiome is
connected to our moods and behavior, communicating with
our brain through the vagus nerve, which provides a direct
line between brain and gut, as well as through the various
chemicals it produces and releases into our bloodstream.
The rent paid by our bacterial immigrant population is so
underappreciated, it’s no wonder scientists are now referring
to this writhing mass of genetic material as our “forgotten
organ.”
MTV Cribs: Microbiome Edition
Though we’d rather not think of ourselves as elaborate
digestive tubes with legs, that’s essentially what we are.
Nearly every feature of our being has evolved to help us
better procure energy in the form of food.
The gut, the term given to this long and windy tube also
known as the alimentary canal, begins at the mouth and
ends, well, you know where. Gut health and function are not
usually an easy topic for people to talk about. After all, our