| Comments |
P.2 5th & bottom paragraphs: "Table 1 shows typical order of magnitude estimates for the number of bacteria that reside in different organs in the human body. The estimates are based on multiplying measured concentrations of bacteria by the volume of each organ [primary source 9, ref 10]. Values are rounded up to give an order of magnitude upper bound. Although the bacterial concentrations in the saliva and dental plaque are high, because of their small volume the overall numbers of bacteria in the mouth are less than 1% of the colon bacteria number. The concentration of bacteria in the stomach and the upper 2/3 of the small
intestine (duodenum and jejunum) is only 10^3–10^4 bacteria/mL, owing to the relatively low pH of the stomach and the fast flow of the content through the stomach and the small intestine [ref 10]. Table 1 reveals that the bacterial content of the colon exceeds all other organs by at least
two orders of magnitude. Importantly, within the alimentary tract, the colon is the only substantial contributor to the total bacterial population, while the stomach and small intestine make negligible contributions." See notes beneath table |