Human navels harbour 1,400 strains of bacteria!

[Kairi]

Human navels harbour 1,400 strains of bacteria!
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Scientists have found that the human navel plays host to a number of unknown strains of bacteria.

North Carolina State University scientists under the Raleigh’s Belly Button Biodiversity project have discovered more than 1,400 strains of bacteria in just 95 samples.

What’s even stranger is that more than a third of these strains could not be classified.

Team leader Jiri Hulcr told New Scientist that this “strongly suggests that they are new to scienceâ€.

Discover science writer Carl Zimmer, who allowed his navel to be swabbed for the study, was surprised to find that he was host to a “whopping†53 strains of bacteria.

“Several species I’ve got, such as Marimonas, have only been found in the ocean before,†the New York Daily News quoted Zimmer as saying.

“I am particular baffled that I carry a species called Georgenia. Before me, scientists had only found it living in the soil. In Japan,†he stated.

According to the research team, the results are shocking only because, we just don’t know enough about microbial diversity in different habitats – including our belly buttons.
Disclaimer: Bioscholar is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The articles are based on peer reviewed research, and discoveries/products mentioned in the articles may not be approved by the regulatory bodies.

 

[gertrudeB]

That was so interesting. Cleaning habits – or lack thereof – have made amazing discoveries possible. As few people wash their belly buttons with soap, the chance for microbial growth increases. Hulcr suggests there may be links between belly button bacteria and microbes that have previously only been found on the deep ocean floor. This opens entirely new avenues of inquiry within the study of divergent evolution, the accumulation of differences between groups which can lead to the formation of new species.

 

[gertrudeB]

Belly buttons can be sexy, but they can also be prime real estate for bacterial colonies. The bacteria represents important advances in divergent evolution.

Belly button Diversity project researchers welcome the dirt, as your belly button bacteria tells a tale. The tale human navel bacteria have to tell about divergent progression is a jewel in the crown of microbial research. New belly button bacteria furthers study of evolution as it is called bacterial nature reserve. Hairy navels collect more lint, dead skin, fat, sweat and dust, all of which contribute to microbial diversity. Navel melanoma is even possible. In a more subjective portion of the BBB study, the “ideal female belly buttonâ€￾ is small and T-shaped. Outies and odd, horizontal shapes were considered less attractive by study organizers and participants.