This story appears in the January 2020 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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How trillions of microbes affect every stage of our life—from birth to old age
As the impact of these microorganisms on our well-being becomes clearer, scientists say new remedies for disease are likely to emerge.
Escherichia coli, the yellow rods clustered on a purple substrate, can cause food poisoning, but most strains are not only harmless, they’re beneficial. E. coli inhabit the human gut and perform essential functions, such as making vitamins K and B12 and repelling disease causing bacteria.
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