The Belly Button: A wildlife refuge for germs!

This is not a joke: There’s a group known as the Belly Button Biodiversity Project. 

It is interested in the wildlife living in your bellybutton.

What, you didn’t KNOW there were creatures in your belly button? It’s the perfect hangout for them! Here’s why:

1.) Odds are you don’t wash your belly button with soap. (Most people don’t.)

2.) If you have an innie, your belly button is a protected area . . . sort of like a wildlife refuge for germs.

3.) Unlike your nose or underarms, the belly button doesn’t produce any wacky liquids or mucus. So germs can live their lives without interference!

So what IS in your belly button? Yellow bacteria, stinky molds and fungi, and gooey yeasts! But here, let’s have the Belly Button Biodiversity Project explain:

Ever wondered what microorganisms live on you? You are alive, but just how alive? How many living organisms are on a square centimeter of your skin? Very little is known about the life that breathes all over us. Each person’s microbial jungle is rich, colorful, and dynamic. Your navel may well be one of the last biological frontiers. It is time then, to explore! 

Sampling for Belly Button Bacteria: We imagine germs as bad, and yet most are not. Most are either good or simply present, whether in-between your toes or up your nose. The diversity on our bodies is fascinating and we want to share the joy of discovering it. You give us a sample, we will grow and identify the bacteria, and you get the results. Meet your personal ecosystem, in color! 

Why begin with the belly button? Because no one volunteers when we ask for armpit samples. Because our belly buttons are relatively isolated, a place where microbes are safe. Because everybody has one, it’s what once connected us to our past. Yet, we barely notice it in our daily lives, to the point that few people actually wash theirs. Which is great for the bacteria! They are well protected, and provide a refuge of our wild nature. The first step is to simply see who is there, the way the first explorers, upon arriving at new continents, simply wrote home to describe what they found.

Wow. Thanks to Body Odd for the tip! (Photo of baby from Boy27wonder.)