I Contain Multitudes

Posted on 25 January 2017 by Ed Yong

Joining the ranks of popular science classics like The Botany of Desire and The Selfish Gene, a groundbreaking, wondrously informative, and vastly entertaining examination of the most significant revolution in biology since Darwin a microbe s eye view of the world that reveals a marvelous, radically reconceived picture of life on earth.Every animal, whether human, squid, or wasp, is home to millions of bacteria and other microbes Ed Yong, whose humor is as evident as his erudition, prompts us to look at ourselves and our animal companions in a new light less as individuals and as the interconnected, interdependent multitudes we assuredly are.The microbes in our bodies are part of our immune systems and protect us from disease In the deep oceans, mysterious creatures without mouths or guts depend on microbes for all their energy Bacteria provide squid with invisibility cloaks, help beetles to bring down forests, and allow worms to cause diseases that afflict millions of people.Many people think of microbes as germs to be eradicated, but those that live with us the microbiome build our bodies, protect our health, shape our identities, and grant us incredible abilities In this astonishing book, Ed Yong takes us on a grand tour through our microbial partners, and introduces us to the scientists on the front lines of discovery It will change both our view of nature and our sense of where we belong in it. New Read [ I Contain Multitudes ] By [ Ed Yong ] – kino-fada.fr You ve got company.Carol Anne Freeling was certainly right when she said, They re hee ur, well maybe not enraged spirits, but there are certainly plenty of entities present to which we have paid insufficient attention Maybe Regan MacNeil was closer to the mark in proclaiming We are legion When Orson Welles said We re born alone, we live alone, we die alone, he was mistaken Even when we are alone, we are never alone We exist in symbiosis a wonderful term that refers to different organ You ve got company.Carol Anne Freeling was certainly right when she said, They re hee ur, well maybe not enraged spirits, but there are certainly plenty of entities present to which we have paid insufficient attention Maybe Regan MacNeil w...Well, I will never think of bacteria and archaea the same I certainly have a newfound understanding of just how vital it is to every part of life That microbes and bacteria have helped shape our planet for billions of years, down to every single flora and fauna even all the oxygen we breath has come from bacteria I also never really thought about the microbes that are constantly around us and even on me, or how many you are seeding to the world That every person aerosolises 37 million bac Well, I will never think of bacteria and archaea the same I certainly have a newfound understanding of just how vital it is to every part of life That microbes and bacteria have helped shape our planet for billions of years, down to every single flora and fauna even all the oxygen we breath has come from bacteria I also never really thought about the microbes that are constantly around us and even on me, or how many you are seeding to the world That every person aerosolises 37 million bacteria per hour And, if that isn t crazy enough, how about It s estimated that every human contains 100 trillion microbes, most of which live in our guts By comparison, the Milky Way contains between 100 million and 400 million stars To me, learning all of this was just simply incredible the effortless symbiosis of microbes with the environment and with ourselves I could go on and on about this book so I will end with is, this is ...This is a fascinating book about the microbes inside all of us, and inside other animals as well Now, it is often said that there are ten times as many bacteria in our bodies as there are cells This, it turns out, is probably an over estimate the number of bacteria is probably in the same ballpark as the number of cells But still, that is a lot This book goes into detail about the amazing partnerships the symbioses between microbes and large organisms, mostly animals and humans Microbes a This is a fascinating book about the microbes inside all of us, and inside other animals as well Now, it is often said that there are ten times as many bacteria in our bodies as t...I liked this book so I am giving it three stars It is common knowledge today that everything and all of us are covered with microbes that some are good and some are bad Their number can be debated We have in the past been fixated on getting rid of them This has been to our detriment It is clear we have gone too far Antibiotics are good and necessary, but at the same time they must be used with care In heedlessly wiping out microbes, we have created an environment where pathogens prolife I liked this book so I am giving it three stars It is common knowledge today that everything and all of us are covered with microbes that some are good and some are bad Their number can be debated We have in the past been fixated on getting rid of them This has been to our detriment It is clear we have gone too far Antibiotics are good and necessary, but at the same time they must be used with care In heedlessly wiping out microbes, we have created an environment where pathogens proliferate This book is about the symbiosis we hav...Recently I ve been hearing reports of miracle cures of irritable bowel syndrome IBS by use of fecal matter transplants Also I ve heard that some autoimmune diseases may be caused by environments that are too clean Upon hearing these things the question that comes to my mind is, why this new found enthusiasm for microorganisms We ve known about bacteria since Louis Pasteur So why all this new i...Though we might lather our skin with antibacterial soap, clean our hands with alcohol sanitizers, gargle with mouthwash, scrub our kitchen surfaces, disinfect our bathrooms, spray Lysol all over the house, take antibiotics, etc., there are and always will be microbes everywhere This is especially true of our warm moist bodies which are covered inside and out with microorganisms.and this is a good thing.In fact our bodies are really an indivisible aggregate of our tissues and organs. Though we might lather our skin wi...A fascinating topic poorly served by the conventions of popular science writing.Ed Yong s book is about microbes bacteria, mostly, but also viruses and few other extremely small creatures and how they live with other organisms humans for the most part, with plenty of other animals, too, though no plants.It has Darwinian ambitions, announced in its subtitle A Grander View of Life evokes Darwin s famous phrase closing the first edition of On the Origin of Species There is grandeur in thi A fascinating topic poorly served by the conventions of popular science writing.Ed Yong s book is about microbes bacteria, mostly, but also viruses and few other extremely small creatures and how they live with other organisms humans for the most part, with plenty of other animals, too, though no plants.It has Darwinian ...You may think that we are just made from muscles, blood cells, bones and a fair bit of DNA, but in between the gaps are microbes Billions and billions of them There are the odd rogue ones, but most of them are useful and make up an essential element of our being Without them we could not live They help us in countless ways, sculpting our organs, protecting us from disease and feeding and nourishing us our gut contains a complete ecosystem that ensure that we extract all the energy we need.M You may think that we are just made from muscles, blood cells, bones and a fair bit of DNA, but in between the gaps are microbes Billions and billions of them There are the odd rogue ones, but most of them are useful and make up an essential element of our being Without them we could not live They help us in countless ways, sculpting our organs, protecting us from disease and feeding and nourishing us our gut contains a complete ecosystem that ensure that we extract all the energy we need.Microbes work equal miracles in other animals too, providing the ethereal light that disguises a squid as they hunt, ensuring that koalas are able to digest the unpalatable eucalyp...This is a fun read Each one of us is a microbiome, with billions of bacteria literally on every bit of our skin and hair Inside our bodies and in our cells, we have eveninteresting little microscopic monsters Plus, we share these little bugs with everyone we meet, especially the people we live with If you have a dog, the volume of bacteria in your home increases exponentially If, gentle reader, you are now scratching and twitching, may I suggest getting a copy of I Contain Multitudes This is a fun read Each one of us is a microbiome, with billions of bacteria literally on every bit of our skin and hair Inside our bodies and in our...You are what you eat You eat what you are.What you aren t eats you and other things that aren t you, but are in you.I am legion.

English
25 January 2017

Ed Yong