You are 50%¹ human. Half of you is microbial by cell count. 38,000,000,000,000 (that's 38 trillion) to be specific.⠀ ⠀ They've been a part of you just as they were a part of your ancestors—helping you digest your food, regulate inflammation, and synthesize key vitamins, metbolites, and neurotransmitters, all in exchange for just a portion of your daily calories and a warm place to live. They are essential to your health and to what makes you human.⠀ ⠀ You are them, and they are you.⠀ You + Bacteria = You⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ______________⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ¹ Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R. Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the Body. PLoS Biology. 2016;14(8):e1002533. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002533.⠀ ⠀ ² Yes, that's a tiny bacteria on her nipple. #freethenipple