Tiny Microbes: Everywhere, Vital for Life & Clean Water
This audio overview reveals tiny, vital microorganisms, or microbes, are everywhere and invisible to the naked eye, yet crucial for survival. It details how these decomposers break down waste and dead organic matter, maintaining a healthy environment and food web.
The overview categorizes microbes into eukaryotes, like protozoa (including ciliates and amoebas) used extensively in wastewater treatment plants to clean dirty water by consuming toxins, and prokaryotes, which encompass all bacteria.
It highlights the many helpful roles of bacteria, such as producing two-thirds of the world's oxygen in the ocean (e.g., blue-green algae). Additionally, some microbes are shown to eat oil to help clean up oil spills, and scientists are researching their ability to break down plastic polluting waterways. The importance of protecting aquatic habitats from pollution is emphasized to ensure these beneficial microorganisms can continue their work.
0.000000 4.400000 Welcome to Everyday Explained, your daily 20-minute dive into the fascinating house and
4.400000 6.200000 wise of the world around you.
6.200000 10.000000 I'm your host, Chris, and I'm excited to help you discover something new.
10.000000 11.200000 Let's get started.
11.200000 14.600000 Imagine for a moment that you are never truly alone.
14.600000 15.600000 Not even when you think you are.
15.600000 22.200000 In fact, you're constantly surrounded by and even made up of trillions of tiny, invisible
22.200000 24.800000 living creatures.
24.800000 29.480000 Welcome to The Deep Dive, where we unpack fascinating topics to give you the shortcut to be
29.480000 30.480000 and well-informed.
30.480000 35.760000 Today, we're diving headfirst into the microscopic universe of microbiomes.
35.760000 40.200000 These incredible, often unseen communities of tiny organisms.
40.200000 44.640000 They're vital for our survival, whether they're cleaning our planet or living right inside
44.640000 45.640000 us.
45.640000 48.160000 We've pulled together stack of sources for this deep dive.
48.160000 51.960000 We've got a YouTube exploration called "microbes are everywhere" from Fairfax County
51.960000 52.960000 government, I think.
52.960000 53.960000 That's the one.
53.960000 55.760000 And eye-opening research from Stanford and the NIH.
55.760000 59.360000 Plus, a look from the independent at where these little critters might be hiding in your
59.360000 60.360000 daily routine.
60.360000 61.360000 Right.
61.360000 62.360000 The everyday stuff.
62.360000 63.360000 Exactly.
63.360000 67.420000 So, our mission today is really to shed some light on these unseen allies and sometimes foes.
67.420000 72.120000 We want to reveal their surprising roles and how they shape our world and our health, often
72.120000 74.760000 in ways you'd never expect.
74.760000 76.760000 Okay, let's unpack this.
76.760000 81.200000 Get ready to discover how much tiny stuff is actually running the show.
81.200000 82.200000 It is fascinating, isn't it?
82.200000 87.480000 Because we usually think of living organisms as things we can, you know, see, touch, interact
87.480000 88.480000 with.
88.480000 92.840000 But what our sources really show is that the vast majority of life and actually the foundational
92.840000 97.600000 processes supporting all life, they're happening on a scale that's completely invisible to
97.600000 98.600000 it.
98.600000 99.600000 Yeah.
99.600000 100.600000 Totally invisible.
100.600000 101.600000 And that's a perfect place to start.
101.600000 103.360000 When we say microbes, what exactly are we talking about?
103.360000 107.080000 Our first source, microbes are everywhere, defines them pretty simply.
107.080000 109.760000 Tiny living organisms, invisible without help.
109.760000 110.760000 Micro means tiny.
110.760000 112.600000 Organism means living being.
112.600000 113.600000 Simple as that.
113.600000 114.800000 But don't let their size fool you.
114.800000 116.760000 These aren't just tiny specks floating around.
116.760000 120.060000 They are, apparently, the biggest group of decomposers on earth.
120.060000 122.240000 That's their absolutely fundamental role, yeah.
122.240000 125.600000 Microbes are constantly breaking down waste and dead organic matter.
125.600000 128.920000 They turn complex stuff back into simple substances.
128.920000 132.720000 And this process is just critical.
132.720000 133.720000 Critical how?
133.720000 137.520000 Well, without them doing that tireless work, keeping our environment and the whole food
137.520000 139.760000 web healthy would be impossible.
139.760000 143.360000 Our source even jokes that if they didn't do their job, we'd literally be surrounded
143.360000 144.360000 by waste.
144.360000 145.360000 Yeah.
145.360000 150.100000 So they're like the planet's essential, maybe slightly messy cleanup crew.
150.100000 151.100000 Exactly.
151.100000 152.800000 Earth's unsung heroes, really.
152.800000 156.560000 So it's this whole microscopic world buzzing around us.
156.560000 159.320000 And to even see it, you need a microscope, right?
159.320000 160.560000 Magnifying things hundreds of times.
160.560000 164.480000 I mean, imagining seeing a microorganism actually digesting its food, it must be a whole universe
164.480000 165.480000 down there.
165.480000 166.480000 It truly is.
166.480000 169.520000 And microbes come in this astonishing variety of forms.
169.520000 174.240000 You've got the simply ones, the precariotes, the bacteria mainly, get more into those.
174.240000 178.040000 And then there are the more complex, a single-celled ones called eukaryotes.
178.040000 181.920000 And among those eukaryotes, you find some really remarkable characters.
181.920000 185.800000 Like protozoa, they're so good at cleaning water, they're actually used in wastewater treatment
185.800000 186.800000 plants.
186.800000 187.800000 No kids.
187.800000 190.240000 Yeah, they literally eat pollutants and help process dirty water.
190.240000 191.240000 Wow.
191.240000 194.280000 And then there are things like silhouettes, is that right?
194.280000 195.280000 Silhouettes.
195.280000 200.040000 Our source says they use a ring of tiny hairs around their mouths to create vortexes in
200.040000 202.080000 the water, just to suck in food.
202.080000 204.080000 Like tiny little vacuum cleaners?
204.080000 207.440000 Just like they're making their own dinner whirlpools.
207.440000 210.960000 And amoebas, they hunt bacteria.
210.960000 212.040000 They do.
212.040000 214.640000 But they have to watch out for predators themselves.
214.640000 215.640000 Predators like water.
215.640000 217.200000 Like the amazing water bears.
217.200000 218.200000 Oh, water bears.
218.200000 219.400000 Part of grades, right?
219.400000 220.400000 I've heard about those.
220.400000 221.400000 Yeah.
221.400000 222.400000 Tart of grades.
222.400000 225.120000 What's fascinating is while we grouped them with microbes because they're tiny, they're
225.120000 227.560000 actually complex, multicellular animals.
227.560000 228.560000 Yeah.
228.560000 229.560000 And just unbelievably tough.
229.560000 230.560000 Tough how?
230.560000 232.520000 They can live in the most extreme environments.
232.520000 236.600000 Like boiling water, solid ice, even the vacuum of space.
236.600000 237.600000 Seriously?
237.600000 238.600000 Space?
238.600000 239.600000 Seriously.
239.600000 242.440000 They can hibernate for decades and even clone themselves.
242.440000 245.960000 Their survival skills are just off the charts.
245.960000 249.480000 Really highlights the incredible diversity of life, even at that tiny scale.
249.480000 250.480000 Okay.
250.480000 252.600000 They definitely sound like sci-fi creatures.
252.600000 256.160000 But let's shift back to the even tinier ones, the prokaryotes.
256.160000 258.200000 This is where all the bacteria fit in.
258.200000 261.160000 And we often think bacteria equals bad, right?
261.160000 262.160000 Sickness.
262.160000 263.440000 I'm an association, yeah.
263.440000 267.880000 But it's really crucial to remember, like our source says, a lot of bacteria is very helpful
267.880000 268.880000 to us.
268.880000 270.120000 Absolutely.
270.120000 274.280000 And this leads us to their roles as, well, environmental superheroes.
274.280000 276.920000 It goes way beyond just waste management.
276.920000 278.160000 Consider this.
278.160000 281.440000 About two thirds of the world's oxygen comes from the ocean.
281.440000 282.680000 Two thirds from the ocean.
282.680000 283.680000 Yep.
283.680000 285.440000 And we can largely think bacteria for that.
285.440000 288.000000 Things like blue-green algae or cyanobacteria.
288.000000 289.640000 They're helping us breathe, essentially.
289.640000 290.640000 Wow.
290.640000 291.640000 Okay.
291.640000 295.180000 So keeping our waterways clean isn't just about pollution, it's about breathing.
295.180000 300.240000 It's incredibly important for letting these essential oxygen producers thrive, exactly.
300.240000 301.240000 It's mind-blowing.
301.240000 305.360000 These tiny things aren't just invisible, they're basically like running the planet.
305.360000 308.640000 And besides oxygen, some microbes actually eat oil.
308.640000 309.640000 Mm-hmm.
309.640000 312.880000 Which is fantastic for helping clean up ocean spills.
312.880000 316.840000 And scientists are actively studying how other microbes could break down the plastic that's
316.840000 318.160000 choking our waterways.
318.160000 319.720000 They're literally eating our garbage.
319.720000 320.560000 That's amazing.
320.560000 321.560000 Yes.
321.560000 326.800000 And what's really fascinating here is how these big environmental jobs, producing oxygen,
326.800000 332.400000 breaking down pollutants, they actually mirror the complex essential roles microbes play
332.400000 333.800000 inside our own bodies.
333.800000 334.800000 Ah.
334.800000 335.800000 Okay.
335.800000 337.080000 So it shows how connected they are to all life.
337.080000 338.080000 Exactly.
338.080000 341.400000 Maintaining ecosystems outside us and the ecosystems inside us too.
341.400000 343.800000 And that brings us perfectly to the hidden world within you.
343.800000 344.800000 Yeah.
344.800000 345.800000 Your personal microbiome.
345.800000 346.800000 Okay.
346.800000 349.600000 Prepare yourself for some truly mind-boggling numbers here.
349.600000 353.160000 Our sources reveal that your microbes actually outnumber your own human cells.
353.160000 354.160000 Get this.
354.160000 355.160000 By 10 to 1.
355.160000 356.160000 10 to 1.
356.160000 357.160000 It's staggering.
357.160000 362.720000 We're talking roughly 100 trillion bacterial cells versus maybe 10 trillion human cells.
362.720000 365.640000 It's a huge shift in how we even think about ourselves, isn't it?
365.640000 366.640000 Huh.
366.640000 367.640000 We're not just individuals.
367.640000 369.640000 We're like walking, talking ecosystems.
369.640000 370.640000 Totally.
370.640000 371.640000 And it goes deeper.
371.640000 376.720000 The human microbiome provides way more genes that help us survive.
376.720000 384.280000 Anything like 8 million microbial genes compared to our own human genome, which is maybe 22,000
384.280000 385.280000 genes?
385.280000 386.520000 8 million versus 22,000.
386.520000 387.520000 Yeah.
387.520000 393.440000 As the NIH source puts it, humans need bacteria and their genes more than most of us thought.
393.440000 394.840000 We really rely on them.
394.840000 395.840000 That's just wild.
395.840000 399.040000 And apparently we've only just scratched the surface of understanding who's actually living
399.040000 400.040000 in there.
400.040000 403.520000 There's a new survey, DNA, in human blood, from Stanford researchers.
403.520000 404.520000 Right.
404.520000 405.520000 Looking at blood DNA.
405.520000 406.520000 Yeah.
406.520000 427.800000 It's like having 99% of your house guests be complete strangers and you need them to survive.
427.800000 430.040000 It really does raise a big question, doesn't it?
430.040000 435.000000 If we connect this to the bigger picture, it just highlights how much we still have to learn
435.000000 439.880000 about our own internal ecosystems and what that means for our health.
439.880000 442.880000 So what did they find in that mystery DNA?
442.880000 445.760000 Well, the vast majority were proteobacteria.
445.760000 450.080000 That group includes things like E. coli and salmonella, names we might recognize.
450.080000 454.600000 But they also double the number of known human-infecting torctenoviruses.
454.600000 455.600000 Double them.
455.600000 456.600000 Yep.
456.600000 459.920000 And even found a whole new class that's closer to animal viruses than any human ones we knew
459.920000 460.920000 about before.
460.920000 466.800000 Okay, so why was this huge discovery and an unsurprising surprise to the researchers?
466.800000 468.160000 That seems contradictory.
468.160000 471.000000 Well, they felt previous studies were kind of biased.
471.000000 472.000000 Biased how?
472.000000 476.640000 By focusing only on specific spots like the gut or the skin or just looking for a few known
476.640000 477.640000 microbes.
477.640000 481.640000 Blood samples though, they argued go deeply everywhere at the same time in a much more
481.640000 482.640000 unbiased way.
482.640000 485.880000 Ah, so taking a broader look revealed this hidden diversity.
485.880000 486.880000 Exactly.
486.880000 489.920000 It showed the limitations of looking too narrowly.
489.920000 494.800000 This unbiased approach just unlocked the whole new level of appreciation for how diverse
494.800000 496.920000 our microbiome really is.
496.920000 502.480000 It's a powerful reminder that what we don't know still hugely outweighs what we do, especially
502.480000 503.480000 inside us.
503.480000 509.320000 Okay, so moving from the unknown to what we do know, let's talk about the good, the bad,
509.320000 514.120000 and maybe the sometimes overly clean aspects of our relationship with microbes.
514.120000 515.640000 Let's start with the good guys.
515.640000 517.760000 How do microbes actually keep you healthy?
517.760000 520.080000 Well, a huge area is digestion.
520.080000 524.560000 Our gut microbes have a profound effect on how we use and store energy from the food we
524.560000 525.560000 eat.
525.560000 526.560000 Profound how?
526.560000 528.480000 There was an experiment mentioned in the NIH source.
528.480000 531.960000 They transfer bacteria from obese mice to normal weight mice.
531.960000 535.080000 And just doing that led to the normal mice gaining significantly more fat.
535.080000 536.080000 Just from the bacteria.
536.080000 537.080000 Yeah.
537.080000 541.120000 And Dr. Martin Blazer, an expert they quote, "He's concerned that changes in our microbiome
541.120000 544.440000 early in life might actually be contributing to weight problems later on."
544.440000 546.280000 So not just calories and exercises.
546.280000 551.920000 He suggests that calories and exercise alone might be insufficient to explain the scale
551.920000 554.160000 of the obesity epidemic we're seeing.
554.160000 556.240000 The microbiome could be a key factor.
556.240000 561.640000 Okay, so our internal bacteria balance could be massive for digestion and weight.
561.640000 562.640000 What else?
562.640000 563.640000 Skin.
563.640000 564.640000 Absolutely.
564.640000 566.720000 Your skin is your body's first line of defense, right?
566.720000 570.480000 And it relies on this delicate balance with microbes living on it.
570.480000 576.200000 The healthy, beneficial bacteria essentially fill all those little niches so that the
576.200000 579.800000 more dangerous bacteria the pathogens can't get a foothold.
579.800000 583.520000 They're like tiny security guards, basically, taking up all the good spots.
583.520000 584.680000 It's a great way to put it.
584.680000 586.000000 They occupy the real estate.
586.000000 587.840000 And they help the immune system, too, right?
587.840000 588.840000 Definitely.
588.840000 593.080000 There was an NIH study using germ-free mice, mice raised with absolutely no microbes.
593.080000 595.160000 They found these mice had really weak immune functions.
595.160000 596.160000 Makes sense.
596.160000 601.920000 But then when they expose these mice to just one common human skin bacterium, Staphylococcus
601.920000 605.920000 epidermidis, their immune response significantly improved.
605.920000 608.720000 It actually helped them defend against a parasite later on.
608.720000 610.920000 Just from one type of skin bacteria.
610.920000 612.080000 Just from that one.
612.080000 616.120000 It really challenges the idea that all bacteria on our skin are bad.
616.120000 620.640000 As the researcher, Dr. C. Gray said, "These bacteria can play an important role in promoting
620.640000 621.640000 health."
621.640000 622.640000 That's amazing.
622.640000 625.280000 Okay, so gut skin immune system.
625.280000 626.280000 What else?
626.280000 630.560000 Well, there's strong evidence that microbes in the female reproductive tract affect health.
630.560000 635.480000 And they've found diverse microbial communities in the male urinary tract.
635.480000 638.080000 And on the penis, too.
638.080000 639.080000 Everywhere, really.
639.080000 640.080000 Pretty much.
640.080000 642.920000 And microbes are a huge focus for research into allergies now.
642.920000 646.440000 Things like childhood asthma, skin allergies, hay fever, eczema.
646.440000 649.800000 So what ties all this together, gut skin reproduction, allergies?
649.800000 653.760000 I think the unifying thing is this fundamental shift in thinking.
653.760000 656.240000 Our well-being isn't just about our human cells.
656.240000 660.520000 It's about the health and balance of these entire microbial ecosystems within us.
660.520000 664.560000 And realizing that is totally changing how we approach everything from diet to disease
664.560000 665.400000 prevention.
665.400000 666.400000 But there's a flip side, right?
666.400000 669.960000 You mentioned they overly clean, sometimes being too clean can backfire.
669.960000 670.960000 Exactly.
670.960000 672.760000 It's a delicate balancing act.
672.760000 678.000000 Dr. Blazer warns that using antibiotics too often might be seriously changing our microbiome
678.000000 679.000000 for the worse.
679.000000 680.000000 Oh, so.
680.000000 682.520000 He points to another NIH-funded study.
682.520000 688.600000 They gave young mice low doses of antibiotics the kind kids might get for ear infections say.
688.600000 694.120000 And it significantly affected their gut microbes, changed how they use sugars and fats.
694.120000 699.120000 And after just seven weeks, those mice had 15% more body fat.
699.120000 702.120000 15% more just from low dose antibiotics.
702.120000 703.120000 Yeah.
703.120000 704.120000 And it gets more concerning.
704.120000 708.800000 Some studies, though they're not completely conclusive yet, suggest that infants who get
708.800000 712.160000 antibiotics might have a higher risk of becoming overweight later.
712.160000 713.480000 Why would that be?
713.480000 717.560000 The theory is that the antibiotics might be killing off beneficial bacteria, the ones that
717.560000 721.320000 help regulate nutrient absorption and maybe even keep us lean.
721.320000 724.720000 So trying to kill the bad guys accidentally wipes out the good guys, too.
724.720000 726.560000 That's exactly Dr. Blazer's point.
726.560000 730.200000 He thinks we've gone overboard and it looks like trying to get rid of the bad guys has had
730.200000 732.000000 a collateral effect on the good guys.
732.000000 736.080000 It's like clearing a whole forest just to get rid of a few weeds and taking out all the
736.080000 737.560000 good plants too.
737.560000 739.200000 That's a perfect analogy.
739.200000 744.160000 This collateral effect is why our choices about hygiene and medication really matter.
744.160000 746.360000 And it's not just antibiotics, right?
746.360000 748.160000 Even things like skin creams.
748.160000 752.680000 Right, Dr. Seagro points out that lotions and creams aren't just putting a barrier on your
752.680000 754.360000 skin for moisture.
754.360000 758.840000 You're also essentially putting a fertilizer onto the microbial garden.
758.840000 761.360000 You're changing the food source for your skin bacteria.
761.360000 762.880000 Perlizer, huh?
762.880000 767.520000 Which means, as she says, there's not one right answer about which skin products are best
767.520000 768.520000 for you.
768.520000 772.360000 It encourages you to kind of experiment and see what works with your unique microbial
772.360000 773.360000 community.
773.360000 776.560000 Okay, so given all this, how do we navigate our daily lives?
776.560000 779.180000 Which are apparently teeming with microbes.
779.180000 782.560000 Our source from the independent has this great line.
782.560000 786.860000 Invisible armies of bacteria are lurking on the everyday objects you touch the most.
786.860000 788.560000 It sounds dramatic, but it's true.
788.560000 789.560000 Yeah.
789.560000 790.720000 And it says, "Most are harmless.
790.720000 793.840000 Some are helpful, but yeah, some can make you really sick."
793.840000 795.840000 But the point isn't to panic, right?
795.840000 798.160000 It's about awareness, not paranoia.
798.160000 799.160000 Absolutely.
799.160000 801.600000 Understanding where these hot spots are isn't meant to scare you.
801.600000 806.920000 It's just to help us make wise choices as the NIH puts it.
806.920000 807.920000 Exactly.
807.920000 813.120000 Knowing where you might find higher concentrations allows for targeted, effective hygiene, rather
813.120000 815.240000 than just scrubbing everything constantly.
815.240000 819.120000 Okay, so let's hit some of these surprising hot spots, the article mentions, then we can
819.120000 820.560000 talk practical steps.
820.560000 822.840000 First up, shopping trolley handles.
822.840000 824.440000 Ah, yes, the trolley handles.
824.440000 829.200000 Handled by dozens, maybe hundreds of people, rarely sanitized.
829.200000 833.440000 One study found over 70% contaminated with coliform bacteria.
833.440000 835.600000 Which often indicates fecal contamination.
835.600000 837.720000 Right, including things like E. coli.
837.720000 842.000000 So yeah, next time you're pushing that cart, you might be sharing it with a microscopic crowd.
842.000000 847.400000 And that's precisely why sanitizing those handles before you start shopping is a good idea.
847.400000 848.760000 Simple step, big difference.
848.760000 852.920000 Okay, this next one, maybe a little gross, but definitely eye-opening.
852.920000 853.920000 Our mobile phones.
853.920000 854.920000 Oh, boy.
854.920000 855.920000 The phone.
855.920000 856.920000 We take them everywhere.
856.920000 858.920000 Including, let's be honest, the bathroom sometime.
858.920000 861.240000 They're warmth, plus the constant handling.
861.240000 864.280000 It's just ideal for bacterial growth.
864.280000 866.200000 What kind of bacteria are we talking?
866.200000 869.920000 Research shows they often carry things like staphylococcus orius.
869.920000 871.080000 And get this.
871.080000 874.440000 Some studies suggest your phone might actually be dirtier than a toilet seat.
874.440000 875.440000 Oh, come on.
875.440000 876.440000 Really?
876.440000 877.440000 It's pretty well documented.
877.440000 878.440000 Wow.
878.440000 879.440000 Okay.
879.440000 880.440000 That's a sobering thought.
880.440000 884.560000 And apparently hotel TV remotes are in the same boat, even dirtier than toilet seats sometimes.
884.560000 885.880000 It seems so.
885.880000 891.600000 These find things like E. coli, interococcus, and staphylococcus, including nasty antibiotic
891.600000 894.040000 resistant strains like MRSA on them.
894.040000 895.040000 Ugh.
895.040000 896.040000 Okay.
896.040000 899.200000 So maybe bringing your own little plastic baggy or antibacterial wipes for the hotel remote
899.200000 900.960000 isn't such a bad idea, after all.
900.960000 901.960000 Probably not.
901.960000 902.960000 No.
902.960000 903.960000 All right.
903.960000 907.760000 So given these hot spots and the whole balancing act, what are some simple, sensible hygiene
907.760000 911.560000 tweaks for a healthier balance without going overboard?
911.560000 913.040000 Because you can't avoid all germs.
913.040000 915.160000 And like we said, most will make you sick.
915.160000 918.120000 The goal is just good habits.
918.120000 919.120000 Exactly.
919.120000 921.880000 Key actions include things we've touched on.
921.880000 924.520000 Sanitize those shopping trolley handles.
924.520000 926.720000 Regularly disinfect kitchen sponges.
926.720000 930.480000 The sources suggest microwaving them wet, soaking in vinegar, or just running them through
930.480000 932.720000 a hot dishwasher cycle weekly.
932.720000 933.720000 Okay.
933.720000 935.760000 And maybe you separate sponges for different tasks.
935.760000 936.760000 Good idea.
936.760000 940.520000 Also, you separate chopping boards for raw meat versus vegetables.
940.520000 941.720000 That's a classic one.
941.720000 944.960000 And wash kitchen towels, tea towels, regularly in hot water.
944.960000 947.680000 What about the phone since it's apparently so dirty?
947.680000 948.680000 Clean it regularly.
948.680000 952.920000 A slightly damp microfiber cloth, maybe with a tiny bit of mild soap works well.
952.920000 954.440000 Just don't soak it.
954.440000 956.520000 And maybe try not to use it in the bathroom.
956.520000 957.520000 Good call.
957.520000 958.520000 And toothbrushes.
958.520000 962.800000 Stored far from the toilet flushing can aerosolize things, rinse it well after use.
962.800000 965.560000 Let it air dry completely and replace it every three months or so.
965.560000 966.560000 Makes sense.
966.560000 967.560000 What else?
967.560000 968.560000 Bath mats.
968.560000 969.560000 Pet stuff.
969.560000 970.960000 Wash bath mats weekly.
970.960000 975.680000 If you have pets, wash their towels and toys regularly too, maybe weekly.
975.680000 980.960000 And if you use shared beauty tools, like at a salon, either bring your own or ask specifically
980.960000 987.640000 about their sterilization practices, and the NIH adds some really good wise choices for
987.640000 989.800000 protecting your microbes overall.
989.800000 992.200000 First, don't be scared of microbes.
992.200000 994.000000 Remember, most of them help you.
994.000000 997.840000 Second, don't pressure your doctor for antibiotics if you don't truly need them.
997.840000 999.600000 They can cause more harm than good sometimes.
999.600000 1000.600000 An important one.
1000.600000 1006.000000 Third, no wind to wash your hands, obviously before eating after using the bathroom after handling
1006.000000 1007.520000 we're all meat.
1007.520000 1011.560000 Hand washing is generally better than hand sanitizers in most everyday situations.
1011.560000 1012.560000 Okay.
1012.560000 1017.640000 And finally, don't bother with unnecessary antibacterial products, soaps, cutting boards, household items,
1017.640000 1018.640000 marketed that way.
1018.640000 1023.680000 They usually have little or no health benefit and might even contribute to resistant bacteria.
1023.680000 1024.680000 Okay.
1024.680000 1025.680000 Wow.
1025.680000 1026.680000 So what does this all really mean then?
1026.680000 1031.520000 In this journey through the, frankly astounding world of microbes, from cleaning up the planet
1031.520000 1035.840000 to running essential operations inside our own bodies, we've seen how much they outnumber
1035.840000 1041.120000 us, how much we still don't know about them, and how keeping them in balance affects everything
1041.120000 1043.280000 from our digestion to our immunity.
1043.280000 1047.680000 It really is a profound realization, isn't it, that our very existence is this constant
1047.680000 1049.840000 collaboration with these microscopic partners.
1049.840000 1050.840000 Yeah.
1050.840000 1054.840000 It kind of compels us to think about our internal environment with maybe the same care we
1054.840000 1056.640000 think about the external one.
1056.640000 1057.640000 Exactly.
1057.640000 1060.680000 You're never truly alone and maybe that's actually a good thing.
1060.680000 1066.280000 These tiny creatures living on you and in you are absolutely fundamental to your existence.
1066.280000 1070.020000 Like Dr. Blazer said, just remember how much you need them.
1070.020000 1074.760000 So next time you wash your hands, maybe think of it less like just getting rid of bad germs
1074.760000 1080.160000 and more like tending the garden, fostering the good guys and keeping that vital balance.
1080.160000 1082.040000 So here's a final thought.
1082.040000 1085.280000 What surprising microbe fact will you share with someone today?
1085.280000 1088.280000 And that wraps up today's episode of Everyday Explained.
1088.280000 1091.740000 We love making sense of the world around you five days a week.
1091.740000 1095.840000 If you enjoyed today's deep dive, consider subscribing so you don't miss out on our next
1095.840000 1096.840000 discovery.
1096.840000 1098.880000 I'm Chris and I'll catch you in the next one.