Houston and Nature

Houston and Nature


15: You’ve Got Your Own Private Zoo – It’s Called Your Microbiota

July 30, 2021

Each human being is host to a microbiota, an ecosystem made up of trillions of bacteria that inhabit the surfaces and crevices of our body and especially the insides of our large intestine. In this episode we’ll look at the ecology inside our gut, where bacteria are on a constant quest to feed and multiply, while bacteriophages scheme to snatch their minuscule bodies for their own reproductive purposes. Our guide is molecular biologist Dr. Laura Bridgewater. She’ll tell us how our microbiota influences our weight, our health, and even our personality. Believe me - it’s a zoo down there!