Our guts are home to a microscopic world – and their contents may be a matter of life or death, reports Roger Highfield.

What does it mean to be human? It’s a deceptively simple question, but the answer is complex. The reason is that most of our cells are not human at all. We depend on a vast army of microbes to stay alive: a friendly “microbiome” that protects us against germs, breaks down food to release energy, and produces vitamins.

Your digestive system alone is home to roughly 100 trillion microbes – about 10 times the number of cells in the major organs. A team co-led by Prof Jeroen Raes of the Flemish Institute of Biotechnology has discovered that we all have one of three basic ecosystems of bugs in our guts – but strangely, the type for each person is unrelated to their race, native country or diet. They label these “enterotypes” the “bacteriodes”, “prevotella” and “ruminococcus”, to reflect the species of bug that dominate in each. People with a bacteriodes ecosystem, for example, have a bias towards bacteria that get most of their energy from carbohydrates and proteins.

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Preliminary Research Suggests They Can, but Further Study Needed

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Unlimited Human Eggs 'Potential' for Fertility Treatment

It may be possible to one day create an "unlimited" supply of human eggs to aid fertility treatment, US doctors say.

Researchers have shown it is possible to find stem cells in adult women which spontaneously produced new eggs in the laboratory.

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Is it Early Alzheimer's or Mild Cognitive Impairment? Doctors Left Baffled by New Guidelines

Doctors are struggling to diagnose whether their patients have early Alzheimer's disease or simply mild cognitive impairment, a report has warned.

Dr John Morris, from Washington University in St Louis said new guidelines for diagnosing mental decline has caused confusion among both medical staff and patients.

The revised definition of a brain condition called mild cognitive impairment means that many people now considered to have mild  Alzheimer's disease could easily be given that diagnosis instead.

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Hong Kong is culling 17,000 chickens after three birds were confirmed to have died from the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in the past week.

The government has banned imports and the sale of live chickens for three weeks after an infected chicken carcass was found at a wholesale market on Tuesday.

It has also raised the city's flu alert system to "serious".

Two wild birds were also found to have died of the the virus.

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Today's teachers make full use of computers, interactive whiteboards, digital devices, and even 3D technology to enhance the learning environment. Forty percent of teachers use computers for instruction, and at least one computer is in 97% of all American classrooms. That adds up to a lot of screen time for kids who also watch TV or play on the computer at home. But is it harmful to a childÂ’s vision?

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Changes Are Voluntary to Prevent Confusion and Overdosing of Acetaminophen in Children

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association says makers of over-the-counter, single-ingredient liquid pediatric acetaminophen medicines will discontinue current infant drops and make pediatric products just one concentration.

The transition will start in mid-2011, and the CHPA says parents can keep using their current infant products with confidence, as long as they are careful to read dosing instructions and make sure that acetaminophen is safe and appropriate for their kids.

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Gels or creams containing painkillers are better than tablets for chronic knee pain, NHS research suggests.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah Launches “Farhati” Program to Raise Mothers' Food Awareness

His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, launched “Farhati Program” (My Happiness). This program aims to share families’ happiness with their new-born babies, and raise mothers' food awareness. It comes as part of the package of programs carried out by the Ministry of Health (MOH), especially the programs that have to do with maternal and child health, such as the Healthy Marriage Program. This announcement was made by the MOH Spokesman, Dr. Khaled Marghalani.
 
On this occasion, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah expressed his pleasure to launch “My Happiness Program”, adopted by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in Dammam. He pointed out that this program is reckoned another strategic step taken by the Ministry in compliance with the directions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, May Allah protect them. Dr. Al-Rabeeah made clear that the Ministry is committed to the adoption of the existing and under-construction MOH projects, in cooperation with businessmen. He placed emphasis on the healthcare projects of the Eastern Region, and thanked businessmen and all those showing keen interest in cooperation with the Ministry. “We appreciate our partnership with the private sector,” Dr. Al-Rabeeah said, and then affirmed, “The Kingdom is keen to complete all these health projects as soon as possible.”
 

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