Fraction of adult weight that is microorganisms
| Range | 1 - 3 % |
|---|---|
| Organism | Human Homo sapiens |
| Reference | MacDougall, Raymond (13 June 2012). "NIH Human Microbiome Project defines normal bacterial makeup of the body". 1st paragraph under "Methods and Results" |
| Comments | "The human body contains trillions of microorganisms — outnumbering human cells by 10 to 1. Because of their small size, however, microorganisms make up only about 1 to 3 percent of the body's mass (in a 200-pound adult, that’s 2 to 6 pounds of bacteria), but play a vital role in human health." "[There is] high variability in colon size due to temporary changes in diet." |
| Entered by | Uri M |
| ID | 110478 |