To begin with, every body part on every species has its own zoological terroir – its unique combination of temperature, acidity, oxygen levels, and other factors that dictate what kinds of microbe can grow there. The human gut might seem like nirvana for microbes, with its regular baths of food and fluid. But it is a challenging environment, too. That food supply comes in a fast-flowing torrent, so microbes need to grow quickly or carry molecular anchors to maintain a foothold. The gut is a dark world, so microbes that depend on sunlight to make their food cannot thrive. It lacks oxygen, which
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molecular anchors to maintain foothold. anaerobes (organisms that ferment their food)
