One researcher said parents would be better off spending their money on good food for their kids instead of probiotics. Science Source hide caption
The Human Microbiome: Guts And Glory We truly are legion. Trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes dwell in organized communities in and on the nooks and plains of the human body. From birth to death, they shape our health — and not always for the worse.
Special Series
The Human Microbiome: Guts And Glory
Trillions of bacteria, virus, fungi and other microbes hiding out in the human body shape health.
Evelyn Marie Vukadinovich is swabbed with a gauze pad immediately after being born by cesarean section at Inova Women's Hospital in Falls Church, Va. Mary Mathis/NPR hide caption
Doctors Test Bacterial Smear After Cesarean Sections To Bolster Babies' Microbiomes
He's not just getting a cold. He's building his microbiome. iStockphoto.com hide caption
Say hello to your microbiome, Rob Stein. Our intrepid correspondent decided to get his gut bacteria analyzed. Now he's wondering if he needs to eat more garlic and onions. Morgan Walker/NPR hide caption
Knight (left) and Bucheli take soil samples from beneath one of the decomposing bodies. Katie Hayes Luke for NPR hide caption
Billie Iverson, 86, of Cranston, R.I., recently underwent a transplant of intestinal microbes that likely saved her life. Ryan T. Conaty for NPR hide caption
We may not see them, but we need them. iStockphoto.com hide caption
It's busy down there: a gut bacterium splits into two, becoming two new cells. Centre For Infections/Science Photo Library/Corbis hide caption
Bad bug: The bacterium Clostridium difficile kills 14,000 people in the United States each year. Janice Carr/CDC/dapd hide caption
Sucking may be one of the most beneficial ways to clean a baby's dirty pacifier, a study found iStockphoto.com hide caption
