John Connellan
Valued Senior Member
Somebody in the General philosophy forum (would u believe) gave me the idea for this thread.
We all know that there are many types of "good" bacteria present in the human body which play an important role in our biology. What I was wondering is , are these microorganisms absolutely necessary in keeping us alive. If we somehow rid the body of these microorganisms (with an antiseptic) could we survive for long? Sure the body has adapted to this mutualistic symbiosis as is it the easy way out, but have we become so dependent on these organisms that we cannot exist independently?
We all know that there are many types of "good" bacteria present in the human body which play an important role in our biology. What I was wondering is , are these microorganisms absolutely necessary in keeping us alive. If we somehow rid the body of these microorganisms (with an antiseptic) could we survive for long? Sure the body has adapted to this mutualistic symbiosis as is it the easy way out, but have we become so dependent on these organisms that we cannot exist independently?