The average human body, which consists of an estimated ten trillion cells, has about ten times that number of microorganisms in its digestive tract. These bacteria, known as intestinal, or gut, flora, normally reside within the lumen of the intestine and fulfill a number of useful functions for the host, including producing vitamins, training the immune system, fermenting unused energy substrates, and producing hormones that prompt the host to store fats. Can a person survive without gut flora? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary