Your body is also home to millions of other life-forms. Organisms too small to see with just your eyes, called microbes, outnumber your human cells ten to one. But most of them are harmless or even helpful. Here are some of them:

Eyelash mite

Tiny eight-legged mites spend their whole lives on your face, spending most of their time at the base of your eyelash hairs. But at night they scurry around on your face.

Belly button bacteria

Most people have about 67 different species living harmlessly in their navels.

Gut germs

At least 500 species of bacteria live in your large intestine. They help break down food and even create nutrients like vitamin K.

Morning breath makers

Morning breath? Blame bacteria for this! While you sleep, bacteria builds up in your mouth. These guys munch on leftover food between your teeth, then secrete a smelly compound.

That’s why you should brush your teeth before going to be or there will be a big party in your mouth that night!

Foot fungus

Watch your step! These microbes attach to your feet in places like locker room showers. They can make your feet itchy and painful but are easy to get rid of.

Pungent perspiration

You don’t have body odour. You have bacteria odour. Sweat is clear and scentless. The bacteria living on your skin eat the sweat and secrete a nasty smell. Still, these bacteria keep your skin healthy by pushing out other, more dangerous microbes.

Cavity creators

You love sweet treats — and so do microbes! Microbes in your mouth feast on leftover food — but then they excrete lactic acid as waste. That acid can rot away protective tooth enamel, causing cavities.

Courtesy: www.kids.nationalgeographic.com

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 13th, 2018