The Hidden World: Our Microbial Companions

Microorganisms are literally everywhere right now, including all over your body. Your skin alone

hosts over a trillion bacteria, and most of them are actually keeping you alive.

Without these tiny organisms, your immune system would collapse within days.

Think about this. Every breath you take contains thousands of microbes. Your gut bacteria

produce vitamins you cannot make yourself. They break down food your body cannot digest.

They even communicate with your brain and influence your mood. The soil beneath

your feet is teeming with billions of microorganisms recycling nutrients that plants need to grow.

The ocean's smallest bacteria produce half the oxygen you breathe. These invisible creatures