Event 3: The Secret World Inside You

Event 3: The Secret World Inside You

       Last week I had the pleasure of visiting New York and attending the Natural History Museum, which was hosting an exhibit called 'The Secret World Inside You'. The exhibit included fascinating artwork including 3-dimensional enlarged representations of microbes which exist all throughout the human body. The exhibit delved into where micro biomes come from, where they live on and inside the human body, and how the process of giving birth exposes babies to their very first micro biomes. Upon entry into the exhibit, there was a room filled with lights. along with little screens which gave fascinating information about the way in which the human body is essentially an ecosystem in which 500 to 1,000 species of microbes live on the skin and throughout the body of human beings. 

    The exhibit was filled with information about microbes, as well as artistic representations to provide a deeper understanding for viewers and children. As shown below, some representations were 3D models that allowed us to see what these microbes look like and how they differ from one another. To the bottom right is a photo of different kinds of microbes which live on the skin and actually protect the skin from fungi. The exhibit was filled with information about microbes and the ways in which they actually benefit human health. Included was information about how obese peoples have particular microbe species in their gut, which may foster their weight gain or obesity. Scientists have been able to differentiate between healthy microbes and unhealthy ones, and these findings may in the future be able to prevent or even treat obesity. 

    Another fascinating part of the gallery included information about microbes and their interaction with the birthing process. Although microbes are beneficial for humans, exposure of microbes to fetuses is very dangerous and could lead to death. I found it incredibly fascinating that despite the fact that we may have more microbes than human cells in our own bodies, the womb completely protects fetuses from it's mothers microbes. In fact, the very first time that babies are exposed to any microbes at all is through the birthing process as babies pass through the vaginal canal. 

        Another fascinating discovery I learned about in this exhibit is that our mental health may be connected, even reliant, on microbes in our gut. Unhealthy microbes in our guts can lead to depression and other mental health issues, and scientists are continuing to learn more about the ways in which our brain and our gut are connected, and the role which microbes play in that connection. 

More Information on this Exhibit: 

http://www.amnh.org/calendar/the-secret-world-inside-you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfXDYGzJM0s