The Human Microbiome

Microbiome 
Some use “microbiome” to mean all the microbes in a community. We and others use it to mean the full collection of genes of all the microbes in a community. The human microbiome (all of our microbes’ genes) can be considered a counterpart to the human genome (all of our genes). The genes in our microbiome outnumber the genes in our genome by about 100 to 1.

Microbes are everywhere: in the soil, in the water, and even in our bodies. That’s right! Microbes cover every surface of our bodies, both inside and out. These microscopic life forms represent thousands of species, and they outnumber our own cells by about 10 to 1.

Aspergillus is one member of our microbiome community – even for people without aspergillosis!

Some scientists view our resident microbes as a newly discovered and largely unexplored organ, with many functions that are essential for life. Explore to learn more about the human microbiome.

Diagnosis – research resources