Scientists create body 'bug atlas'
Scientists have found that the mouth cavity has the least bacterial diversity within the body
US scientists have created a "bug atlas" of the human body highlighting microbe hotspots.
One of the most surprising results of their study was the "personalised" nature of bacterial communities which varied from person to person.
The lower intestine was found to have the greatest bacterial diversity within the human body, followed by sites on the skin such as forearms, palms, index finger, the back of the knee and the sole of the foot.
Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder followed nine healthy volunteers over a period of three months.
They tested 27 locations on the human body where microbes were likely to thrive, taking four samples over the study period, usually after an hour or two after a shower.
Among the sites they tested were ear canals, nostrils and the mouth. The mouth cavity was found to have the least variation in microbe populations both within individuals and between people.
The researchers also found that one strain of bacteria was most common in head regions, while another was found in large numbers on the trunk and legs.
Study leader Dr Rob Knight said: "The goal is to find out what is normal for a healthy person which will provide a baseline for further studies to look at people with diseased states. One of the biggest surprises was how much variation there was from person to person in a healthy group of subjects."
SIDEWAYS News for fresh perspectives
