The truth is, we still understand precious little about them. But breathe easy: Most of the microbes in the air do us little or no harm, and some almost certainly do us good. As a result, I’ve come to think of air as the medium for the next pandemic rather than the means to sustain life. Over the past 15 years I’ve spent a lot of time poking cotton swabs up human noses, pig snouts, bird beaks, and primate proboscises, looking for signs of such agents before they cause deadly pandemics. Far more rare are inhaled pathogens that are themselves the agents of diseases, such as SARS, tuberculosis, and influenza. A few types may trigger allergies or asthma. These specks in turn host a teeming community of bacteria and viruses. When we inhale, our nostrils capture millions of invisible particles: dust, pollen, sea spray, volcanic ash, plant spores. Oxygen floods into tiny cavities in your lungs and travels into your capillaries, ready to fuel every cell in your body. Your diaphragm contracts, pulling the air deep into your chest. Feel the air pass through your nostrils and move into your nose. This story appears in the January 2013 issue of National Geographic magazine.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |