Your Belly Button Is a Lush Oasis for Bacteria

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...And That's a Good Thing

Researchers are singing a song of praise for armpits, groins, and all the other moist parts of the body that polite society prefers not to contemplate. On the microbial level, a person’s underarms are akin to lush rain forests brimming with diversity—and that’s a good thing—according to a new “topographic map” of human skin. Most of our skin is like an arid desert, said study co-author Julia Segre… “But as you walk through this desert you encounter an oasis, which is the inside of your nose,” she said. “You encounter a stream, which is a moist crease. [These] areas are like habitats rich in diversity” [National Geographic News]. In the new study, the researchers cataloged the bacteria distributed across human skin, and note that a better understanding of these native bacteria of the epidermis may help doctors promote skin health and fight skin diseases.

As part of the Human Microbiome Project, the ambitious effort to genetically identify all the microbes living inside and on the human body, researchers analyzed microbial DNA from skin samples taken from 20 sites on the bodies of 10 healthy volunteers [Press Association]. The bacteria were taken from sites that were categorized as dry (like the forearm), moist (like the aforementioned armpit and the bellybutton), and oily (like the space between the eyebrows). They found a far greater number of bacterial species than expected belonging to 205 different families, and also discovered that the different skin “ecosystems” hold very different bacterial strains. That means strangers often share the same bacteria living on their underarms, even as two separate sites on the same person contain wildly different bacteria [LiveScience].

The study, which will be published tomorrow in Science, is an important step towards understanding what bacteria live on healthy skin–which will help researchers understand what’s out of whack in patients suffering from skin ailments. Says Segre: “We want to know what is the contribution of the human microbiota to common and rare skin disorders.” Segre herself is studying the skin disorder eczema. “We are hoping with this project that we can understand the pathogenic processes in these conditions,” she said. “And perhaps we can learn how to help healthy bacteria keep pathogens in check” [HealthDay News].

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/your-bellybutton-is-a-lush-oasis-for-bacteria-and-thats-a-good-thing/

[almaty 19]

hmmmm.......

[Marina-Del 10]

On the microbial level, a person’s underarms are akin to lush rain forests brimming with diversity—and that’s a good thing—according to a new “topographic map” of human skin. Most of our skin is like an arid desert, said study co-author Julia Segre… “But as you walk through this desert you encounter an oasis, which is the inside of your nose,” she said. “You encounter a stream, which is a moist crease. [These] areas are like habitats rich in diversity”

Charming...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Now I have a reason for not showering everyday...I'm building up my cultures.

[Ban Hammer 13,364]

Now I have a reason for not showering everyday...I'm building up my cultures.

i suppose that's one way to get culture.

[almaty 19]

so, i wonder if it is an equally good if you happen to eat a few of these bad boys...

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Yes, delicious mushrooms grow in mine.

With some ear wax and a bit of underarm stink - groovy pies are made....

Ever notice how much lint gets there each night? You could line a closet with it I think....

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Yes, delicious mushrooms grow in mine.

With some ear wax and a bit of underarm stink - groovy pies are made....

Ever notice how much lint gets there each night? You could line a closet with it I think....

I just now figured out brother Dean's post. I can't see an image.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Slow news day at Discover magazine, I guess. Not exactly a secret that human skin-surface is not gnotobiotic (bacteria-free).

[FaithfulandTrue 6]

...And That's a Good Thing

Researchers are singing a song of praise for armpits, groins, and all the other moist parts of the body that polite society prefers not to contemplate. On the microbial level, a person’s underarms are akin to lush rain forests brimming with diversity—and that’s a good thing—according to a new “topographic map” of human skin. Most of our skin is like an arid desert, said study co-author Julia Segre… “But as you walk through this desert you encounter an oasis, which is the inside of your nose,” she said. “You encounter a stream, which is a moist crease. [These] areas are like habitats rich in diversity” [National Geographic News]. In the new study, the researchers cataloged the bacteria distributed across human skin, and note that a better understanding of these native bacteria of the epidermis may help doctors promote skin health and fight skin diseases.

As part of the Human Microbiome Project, the ambitious effort to genetically identify all the microbes living inside and on the human body, researchers analyzed microbial DNA from skin samples taken from 20 sites on the bodies of 10 healthy volunteers [Press Association]. The bacteria were taken from sites that were categorized as dry (like the forearm), moist (like the aforementioned armpit and the bellybutton), and oily (like the space between the eyebrows). They found a far greater number of bacterial species than expected belonging to 205 different families, and also discovered that the different skin “ecosystems” hold very different bacterial strains. That means strangers often share the same bacteria living on their underarms, even as two separate sites on the same person contain wildly different bacteria [LiveScience].

The study, which will be published tomorrow in Science, is an important step towards understanding what bacteria live on healthy skin–which will help researchers understand what’s out of whack in patients suffering from skin ailments. Says Segre: “We want to know what is the contribution of the human microbiota to common and rare skin disorders.” Segre herself is studying the skin disorder eczema. “We are hoping with this project that we can understand the pathogenic processes in these conditions,” she said. “And perhaps we can learn how to help healthy bacteria keep pathogens in check” [HealthDay News].

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/your-bellybutton-is-a-lush-oasis-for-bacteria-and-thats-a-good-thing/

so that's why..... oh never mind