Formerly called intestinal flora, the intestinal microbiota is defined by all the microorganisms contained in the intestine. The intestinal microbiota is a full complex organ that is not easy to understand. To get a better vision, here are some figures on the intestinal microbiota:
- The intestinal microbiota weighs 1-2 kg ;
- 95 % of bacteria are concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract ;
- The surface of our gastrointestinal tract is 400 meter squared, or 2 tennis courts ;
- We have over 100 000 billion bacteria in our body ;
- Or 10 times more than our human cells ;
- These bacteria are 10 to 50 times smaller than our cells ;
- The intestinal microbiota has 3,3 million genes, or 150 times more genes than the human genome.
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