Hardy Bacteria Thrive in Human Bellies
Posted on January 12, 2006
The human belly is home to some very hardy bacteria that can survive in the stomach's acidic environment. A LiveScience.com article said one bacteria found in human bellies is related to a bacteria eats radioactive waste.
One of the newly discovered bacteria types is a relative of Deinococcus radiodurans, one of the hardiest organisms alive.The article also said that some of these hardy bacteria may not actually reside in the belly but could just be passing through. Maybe Conan the Bacterium only makes an occasional appearance or he sticks around and eats stomach acid -- scientists will figure it out eventually.D. radiodurans is a so-called extremophile because it thrives in extreme environments that would kill most organisms, such as radioactive waste dumps and hot springs. While a radiation dose of 10 grays (Gy) would kill a human, D. radiodurans can take up to 5,000 Gy with no visible effect. It can survive heat, cold, vacuum, and acid. It is so resilient scientists nicknamed it "Conan the Bacterium," after the fictional barbarian warrior.
It's unclear, however, whether the new D. radiodurans relative is likewise resistant to radiation, said David Relman, a microbiologist and immunologist at Stanford University and principal investigator in the study.
"This thing could be a totally different and novel bacteria, but only because its closest relative is famous for being incredibly radioresistant would we even think this one might be as well," Relman told LiveScience.
