Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body
Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R · PLoS Biology 2016
Quantitative analysis · Open access
Key finding
Bacterial and human cell counts are roughly equal — about 1:1, not the widely repeated 10:1.
In plain language
This paper corrected a number that had been repeated for decades. Useful as a reminder of how confidently wrong popular microbiome claims can be.
How much weight this carries
Repeatedly demonstrated, with agreement across independent groups.
Cite or read it
Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R (2016). Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PLoS Biology. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002533