There's
a fungus among us - actually, scratch that - there are many more fungi
living on our body. More then 200 different species in our feet alone:
In the first study of its kind, a US team cataloged the different
groups of fungi living on the body in healthy adults.
A team led by the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda,
Maryland, sequenced the DNA of fungi living on the skin at 14 different
body areas in 10 healthy adults.
Samples were taken from the ear canal, between the eyebrows, the back
of the head, behind the ear, the heel, toenails, between the toes, forearm,
back, groin, nostrils, chest, palm, and the crook of the elbow.
The data reveal that fungal richness varies across the body. The most
complex fungal habitat is the heel, home to about 80 types of fungi.
The researchers found about 60 types in toenail clippings and 40 types
in swabs between the toes.
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