The American Museum of Natural History has a recent exhibit called, “Meet Your Microbe.” In this exhibit, attendees at the Natural History Museum learn about the microbes contained within the human body. These microbes are not only plentiful but they are also a vital part of the human ecosystem. Not only does this exhibit teach viewers about the presence of microbes but it also explains the role that microbes play in disease. Microbes prevent disease and when human beings alter them there can be consequences such as antibiotic resistance. The field of biology is just now beginning to fully understand microbes and the enormous role they play in human life. The exhibit from the American Museum of Natural History is interesting because it presents information in an easy to understand manner that highlights the purpose of the microbes.
New research has allowed us to learn much more about the human body and the microbes that exist within it. Before this knowledge, it was widely thought that microbes were the enemy of human beings and killing them was essential. However, now a more complex and holistic picture is emerging (Conniff). According to Dr. Perkins, the curator of the Exhibit and microbiologist, “Each one of us is an ecosystem with an estimated one trillion other microscopic organisms living in and on us at any given time. And these organisms, collectively known as our microbiome, contain about 300 times the number of genes that our own genomes express” (2016). The exhibit focuses on how microbes enter our bodies and the ways that they shape human behavior, appearance, and even behavior. As a result of this exhibit individuals learn more about the body as an ecosystem and the complexities of disease as these topics are both related to microbial understanding.
Microbes exist throughout the human body. In the Smithsonian article, Microbes: The Trillions of Creatures Governing Your Health, Richard Conniff notes that there are over 10,000 species of microbes that live throughout the human body (par. 12). From the skin to the gut these microbes are not only different depending on where in the body they are located but they are also acquired throughout one’s life. When a baby is born they acquire a large number of microbes from the birthing process. For babies who are born via the birth canal acquire them there whereas babies who are born via a cesarean obtain them from the skin of those involved in the delivery. Microbes are acquired and they vary depending on the culture of the person. In the article, Experimental Approaches for Defining Functional Roles of Microbes in the Human Gut Dantas et al (2013) note, “a substantial effort has been undertaken to define the normal (healthy) human gut microbiota, across a range of timescales, geography, host genetics, environments, and cultural traditions” (459). The reason for the differences in microbes across cultures has to do with both diet and environmental factors.
The microbes in the human body are not an innate part of the human system. Further, unlike DNA there is not always a strong genetic component in microbe composition. According to the research, “First, unlike the human genome, the gut microbiome is not a composite of maternal and paternal genes. Instead, we are born without any microbes and acquire these organisms through an ongoing process of environmental exposure, selection, and interspecies competition” (459). In other words, the composition of microbes is dependent on multiple factors. Further, the differences in microbe composition have a large impact on health and provide valuable insight into diseases.
In the Museum Exhibit, the role of microbes and disease is highlighted. For example, the exhibit explains the role of microbes that exist on human skin. In this part of the exhibit, it is noted that the microbes on the skin can protect us from harmful bacteria’s. Like the microbes on the skin, the other microbes contained in the human body also can play a protective role. According to the exhibit, the microbes in the large intestine, for example, protect the gut lining from inflammation. Not only do these microbes protect humans from physical illness but they are also part of the mental health system. According to Dr. Perkins, “The more we learn about these organisms, the clearer it becomes that we are in fact superorganisms, each of us a little planet into ourselves, with residents and visitors” (par. 3). As humans learn more about microbes and their role in health there are many implications and ways the research can be applied.
Fully understanding the microbe’s role in health can help humans to design both testing and treatments that enhance wellbeing. In the article by Conniff, he notes that “changes in the microbiome to some of the most pressing medical problems of our time, including obesity, allergies, diabetes, bowel disorders and even psychiatric problems like autism, schizophrenia, and depression” (par. 13). The microbes protect the human systems and serve multiple functions depending on the location of the microbe and the type of microbe. Therefore, the more humans understand the microbes and the function they play in the human body the better able we are in diagnosing and treating these major threats to public health.
Understanding microbes provides insight into disease. For example, Dantas et al (2013), note that recent research has demonstrated how diet plays a role in microbe composition. With this knowledge, some of the standard fasting laboratory tests might need alterations to account for changes in microbial composition (459). In addition to accounting for microbes in diagnostic testing, understanding how people alter their microbes provides valuable lessons about medical treatments. For example, it has been learned that antibiotic treatments can permanently alter the microbes in the human gut. Dantas et al explain that when antibiotics are used the microbes are changed and altered. In these cases, microbe diversity can decrease while that the same time antibiotic resistance can increase (459). Knowing how the different antibiotics interact with the gut microbes will help doctors to effectively treat bacterial infections while at the same time decreasing antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, the preservation of microbial diversity may play a key role in fighting future disease. Therefore, this research can be utilized to enhance understanding related to the conservation of microbes in the gut. The implications of these (and other) discoveries show individuals that understanding microbes can be essential in effectively treating disease.
Microbe research is continuing to provide human beings with an enhanced and holistic understanding of how the human body works. The increased understanding of the microbial process gives biologists new information that can be applied to everyday life. For example, this increased understanding is changing the way that medical professionals treat disease. Through ongoing research and understanding of microbes’ individual will have an increased understanding about the role that diet, environment and microbial composition play throughout the human lifespan. The main message from the museum exhibit is that microbes and understanding them enhances everyday life.