It has been reported that the human body contains more non-human cells than human cells! Who are these intruders, why are they there, and how do they respond to chemical exposures? And also importantly, how are chemicals affected by the presence of our most welcome intruders?

A recent International Journal of Toxicology (IJT) review article addressed some of these questions. As to the identity of the intruders, the human gastrointestinal tract is estimated to contain over 1,000 unique bacterial species, which not only affect levels of important metabolites in the human body, but also can biotransform orally-ingested materials (or other materials entering the gut via other routes, such as those contained in bile).

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