Each of us contains 40 trillion microbes. Their power is immense,and we are just beginning to realise it, as this thrilling book detailsWe are not alone. We enjoy never been alone. We are possessed. Our inner demons cannot be cast out, and because they did not bound in and take possession: they were here before us,and will live on after us. They are invisible, insidious and exist in overwhelming numbers. They manage us in myriad (a very large number) ways: deliver our minerals and vitamins, or help digest our lunch,and provide in different ways all our cheese, yoghurt, and beer,wine, bread, or bacon and beef. Microbes can affect our mood,take charge of our immune system, protect us from disease, or make us ill,kill us and then decompose us. Related: intestine reaction: the surprising power of microbes | Ed Yong All life is here, and death too, and sex and violence,including deviations of which you had never dreamedComplex life has a 500m-year evolutionary history: microbial life is at least 3.5bn years frail. We are their offspringContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com