BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Get the free app no ads · no paywallExplained in plain English
Your microbiome is like a unique fingerprint, shaped by many things. Genetics play a part, as do your diet and lifestyle. Even where you live and the people you interact with influence the bacteria on your skin and inside you. This mix is why some people's body odour might be more appealing to mosquitoes, as the story explains.
Stories that explain this
Skin bacteria and body odour make some people mosquito magnetsQuestions this opens up
Can diet change my microbiome? Do antibiotics affect my microbiome? How does my environment affect my microbiome?Related explainers
Is my microbiome unique? What is 'skin microbiome'? Why do mosquitoes bite some? How much does research cost? How do repellents work? How do disabilities shape careers? Who found the shapes? How do genes shape behaviour?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under S →We would like to count visits and see which links bring readers here. That means storing a random ID in your browser. No cookies, no ads, no profile. How it works.