Humans can be considered superorganisms because we are made up of a complex structure that includes billions of bacteria. Find out more in this article!
Very few people understand that humans are basically superorganisms. In fact, we all know that there are living beings inside our bodies. These include gut microbiota , viruses, etc. These microorganisms come and go, and their concentrations and presence change over time.
First, what do we mean by “superorganisms”? This means a complex structure that is the sum of all the small particles that make it up.
Read on for a comprehensive explanation!
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What are superorganisms?
The word superorganism is used in biology and ecology to summarize a way of looking at the nature of society. It is often applied to animal-based structures, such as those of some eusocial insects.
For example, an anthill is an entity in itself because it has some elements of its own, such as:
- A common regulated temperature
- Tunnels and structures created form a skeleton
- Similar to the central nervous system: Every signal sent by ants can be likened to that of the nervous system.
In this case, the living beings living in the anthill and the physical space they occupy constitute a superorganism. As you can see, this term is a bit vague, but it is well understood with some examples taken directly from nature. Even so, things get complicated when we try to apply the definition to humans.
Are we the sum of all our parts?
To address this complex idea, we will draw on a study published in the journal Medical Hypotheses . This review includes several key ideas for understanding the various components of the world:
- First, bacteria make up more than 50% of the planet’s total biomass.
- In comparison, humans make up barely 0.1%.
Does it make your head spin to imagine all the bacteria producing so much stuff? The data is even more incredible when you measure the presence of microorganisms in your own body:
- According to a BBC interviewwith Ed Yong, author of I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life , we have around 39 million bacteria stored in our bodies ( about one to two pounds of our total body weight ).
- Our internal and external microbial populations have 10 times more cells than those that make up our body systems.
These numbers are impressive, to say the least. Below, let’s take a look at the importance of bacteria with a case study.
Bacteria and the gastrointestinal tract
The gut is a perfect example of how humans are superorganisms, containing billions of bacteria that perform all kinds of tasks.
The human small intestine is the most populous microbial ecosystem. In fact, it holds most of the bacteria found in the entire body. As such, our gastrointestinal tract is a virtual organ that is rarely contained by its own physiological limits:
- Gut bacteria allow for more efficient food assimilation as they maximize the energy we get from food.
- They can synthesize essential vitamins that we cannot produce on our own.
- They also degrade complex polysaccharides derived from plants.
- This idea alone makes us realize that we are, at least in part, the sum total of the living things that live within us; something as simple as food, as we know it today, would not be possible without our microbial populations.
Read: The Role of Gut Microbiota in Autism
Superorganisms: A matter of genes
As you can see, we humans do not only contain our own individual genome inherited from our parents. The DNA of each of the microorganisms that live with us is also a large part of us. This statement leads to the challenge proposed by a new branch of science called metagenomics.
This discipline is responsible for identifying, understanding and genetically sequencing the bacteria that live in our bodies and allow us to perform such important functions. Therefore, it is important to learn about these creatures to better understand who we are .
Finally, humans may be a superorganism because we are the sum total of our physical structures and identities. We must also keep in mind that life as we know it would not be possible without the microbial populations that live within us .
