January 09, 2003
All You Need Is Bacteria
Apparently we do need germs. Without bacteria in the gut, your intestines won't develop properly. A researcher at our own Washington University has discovered that without bacteria colonizing an infant's gut after birth, blood vessels don't properly develop and proliferate in the intestines. Maybe you really do need to eat a pound of dirt to grow up right, as my father-in-law says.
Posted by Kevin Murphy at January 9, 2003 01:57 PM | ScienceComments
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