The Bugs on Us Statistics and Probability Article for Students

Don’t panic! Right now, there are thousands of tiny mites on your face. These eight-legged creatures live inside your hair follicles—pouches in the skin from which hairs grow.

You shouldn’t bother rushing to the sink to scrub them off (it wouldn’t work anyhow). Having face mites is totally normal, says biologist Megan Thoemmes of the University of California, San Diego. She worked on a project that examined the faces of more than 4,000 people for these critters, called Demodex mites.

Don’t panic! There are thousands of tiny bugs on your face right now. The eight-legged critters are called Demodex mites. They live inside your hair follicles. (Those are the pouches in your skin from which hairs grow.)

Don’t bother rushing to the sink to scrub them off. It wouldn’t work anyhow. Having face mites is totally normal, says Megan Thoemmes. She’s a biologist at the University of California, San Diego. She helped examine the faces of more than 4,000 people for mites. “We haven’t found a single person without them,” she says.

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Gut bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus

“We haven’t found a single person without them,” she says. Demodex can live all over our bodies. But they’re most abundant on our faces, where they may eat dead cells and an oily substance called sebum. The mites are probably harmless and may even benefit us in some unknown way. “They’re just hanging out, like thousands of little friends who are always with you,” says Thoemmes.

Mites are just one of the many microscopic organisms that live on us. “The body is its own ecosystem that hosts thousands of species,” says Thoemmes. “It’s like a forest, with mites, fungi, and bacteria interacting and working together to form a community.”

Demodex mites can live all over our bodies. But they’re most abundant on our faces. Scientists think they eat dead cells and oils produced by the skin. The mites are thought to be harmless, says Thoemmes. They may even benefit us in some unknown way. “They’re just hanging out, like thousands of little friends who are always with you,” she says.

The mites aren’t alone. There are many different microscopic organisms that live on us. “The body is its own ecosystem that hosts thousands of species,” says Thoemmes. This living community includes mites, fungi, and bacteria.

Many of our body’s residents, like the microbes in our gut that help with digestion, keep us healthy. But our bodies sometimes pick up problematic invaders too. Unwanted parasites like head lice can drink blood from our scalps, while certain worms can infest our intestines, robbing us of nutrients. Yikes!

Many of our body’s residents help keep us healthy. Microbes in our guts help us digest food, for example. But other tiny hitchhikers can cause problems. Head lice, a type of insect, can drink blood from our scalps. Certain worms can invade our intestines, robbing us of nutrients. Luckily, treatments are available for these issues. And when we stay healthy, so do our thousands of little friends!

COMPARING POPULATIONS

The infographic above shows the percent of each type of microbe on different body parts. You can compare the populations of each body part’s microbe distribution to draw conclusions about where certain microbes thrive. Use the “Body Bugs” infographic to draw inferences about microbe populations.Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

COMPARING POPULATIONS

The infographic above shows the percent of each type of microbe on different body parts. You can compare the populations of each body part’s microbe distribution to draw conclusions about where certain microbes thrive. Use the “Body Bugs” infographic to draw inferences about microbe populations.Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.