Scientists have mapped the microbes that cohabitate your body:
Microbes extract vitamins and other nutrients we need to survive, teach our immune systems how to recognize dangerous invaders and even produce helpful anti-inflammatory compounds and chemicals that fight off other bugs that could make us sick.
Why it's a big deal:
Now that disturbances in this rich microbiome community have been linked to weight gain, inflammatory bowel disease, vaginal infections and risk for infection with harmful microbes (such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA), the importance of understanding what makes up a "healthy" microbiome has become even more apparent.
(Image: Enterococcus faecalis, a bacterium that lives in the human gut, via the Department of Agriculture.)
The Dish 