"The microbiome is the collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes, that naturally live on our bodies and inside us. Although microbes are so small that they require a microscope to see them, they contribute in big ways to human health and wellness. They protect us against pathogens, help our immune system develop, and enable us to digest food to produce energy.

Because the microbiome is a key interface between the body and the environment, these microbes can affect health in many ways and can even affect how we respond to certain environmental substances. Some microbes alter environmental substances in ways that make them more toxic, while others act as a buffer and make environmental substances less harmful."

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Recent research suggests that there is a one to one ratio of microbes to human cells in our bodies. While that seems like an extremely large amount, the previously believed ratio was 10:1, microbes:human-cells (1977), so now that we understand so much more about the microbes and microbiome of the body, we are able to begin learning how much of an effect is has on the body's function and further our methods of medical treatments. 

Our microbiome is an ongoing battle of sorts between all types of microbes, good and bad, often won by the microbes that live in and on our bodies. When we have an infection of any kind, it is often because a lack of hygiene or microbiome health was not strong enough to fight off the other microbe introduced to the body. 

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