Every member of the human population contains approximately 10131014 cells, 70% of which are cells of symbiotic bacteria predominantly localized in the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes , I think that, cause of existence of man is carry microorganisms .
Don't forgot that cells are just a clever way that water uses to get around on land :)
Dear Mesut
Perhaps, Normal flora are found widely in human body in high numbers. For example, coliform bacteria are found in symbiotic state in gastrointestinal tract and colon
Best regard
This is one way to look at it :) . We might be carrying a large number of microorganisms around, but that is not why we exist.
Remember too that these bacteria attack each other in competition.
Bacteria and other pathogens can encourage "a carrier" for contacts with other "potential carriers" and enlarge own population. It was known long time ago that tuberculosis stimulates sexual contacts of humans. Recent studies confirmed it. "Infected by Toxoplasma gondii women tend to be more outgoing, friendly, more promiscuous, and are considered more attractive to men compared with non-infected controls. " http://www.viewzone.com/toxo.html
There is a symbiotic interaction between gut microbiota and host body (human or animal), each of them can (positively or negatively) affect the other. Some scientists consider gut microbiota as an additional organ in our body. Gut microbiota can affect body, physiological, immune and mental health of host.
Some scientists studied bacteria on coins. They found a bacterium that is a common inhabitant of the a human digestive system. We do carry bugs and do create many "means" to exchange bugs between us.
I think the question you ask is of fundamental nature.The definition of the selectable evolutionary unit is the key issue. It appears from the studies of microbiomes that the unit on which evolution interacts is the composition entity of a human being where most of are cells are nonhuman and the DNA we carry is mostly prokaryotic in nature. So are we just carriers or something more?
There are many great books available on the general principles of this area of biology, see attached file. I think these are starting to unravel this, for me , a very challenging set of principles.
The sharing of nutrients and carbon etc of trees in a forest for example also indicates the highly co-operative nature of biological entities in a complex ecosystem. The survival of the fitist is more difficult to apply to these complex associations.
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