A universe of bacteria that lives in every inch of our exterior and interior. The bacteria that live in our body, and take advantage of it, outnumber our own constituent cells. The ratio is more than 10 to 1 . In general terms, all this whole life that accompanies us is called the microbiome.
And couples end up sharing it more than was believed, judging by a new study carried out on the matter, to the point that by analyzing the microbiome, it is possible to know who is whose partner .
Marital microbiome
This new study , conducted by experts at the University of Waterloo and published by the American Society for Microbiology , notes that just based on microbes on the skin, it was possible to determine who was a couple with 86% certainty .
In total, samples of microbes from the navel, armpit, nostrils, torso, eyelids, hands, feet and navel, among others, from 10 couples were analyzed. As Josh Neufeld explains in a statement :
It is the first study to identify the regions of the skin with the most similar microbiomes in couples. In hindsight, it makes sense that sharing a home probably serves as a form of microbial exchange with a partner, and even with one’s home. The study is part of a larger research approach aimed at understanding how the skin’s microbiome adapts and changes with the host. Ultimately what we are trying to learn is whether the microorganisms on the skin have co-evolved with their hosts over time.
Image | tjmwatson