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Owi Bre l02 U02 Main Video Scripts

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4 views

Owi Bre l02 U02 Main Video Scripts

Uploaded by

phuongminhnguyen2102
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Impact  

2  
Unit  2  
Main  Video  Script  
Scene  2.1:  The  Forgotten  Organ  
 
Narrator:  Meet  researcher  and  National  Geographic  Emerging  Explorer  Elaine  Hsiao.  
Elaine  has  a  theory  that  microbes  can  impact  your  brain  and  behavior.  Let's  back  up.  
Microbes  are  bacteria,  viruses,  and  other  tiny  organisms.  There's  a  whole  world  of  
microbes  living  inside  you!  The  microbes  living  in  you  are  sometimes  called  "the  
forgotten  organ."  If  you  put  them  all  together,  they'd  weigh  just  as  much—if  not  more  
than—your  brain.  And  they're  just  as  important!  Just  how  many  microbes  are  in  your  
body  right  now?  It's  estimated  that  there  are  as  many  as  100  trillion  bacteria  in  your  gut.  
That  means  100  trillion  microbes  are  hanging  out  in  your  stomach  and  intestines.  So  
how  can  all  of  those  microbes  in  your  gut  impact  your  brain?  There  are  cells  in  your  
intestines  that  extend  all  the  way  into  your  brain  and  microbes  send  signals  directly  to  
the  brain  using  those  cells  as  a  highway.  They  can  tell  your  brain  to  be  happy,  or  
nervous.  Elaine  Hsiao  thinks  these  microbes  might  send  other  signals  as  well.  In  one  of  
her  studies,  Elaine  and  other  researchers  used  special  microphones  to  listen  to  
conversations  between  mice.  One  mouse  had  a  gut  full  of  microbes,  and  one  had  none.  
When  the  two  mice  met  for  the  first  time,  the  mouse  with  microbes  was  more  social  than  
the  other  mouse.  It  tried  to  communicate  with  the  other  mouse.  The  microbe-­free  mouse  
was  less  social  and  didn't  make  a  sound.  So  Elaine  tried  putting  microbes  back  into  the  
intestine  of  the  quiet  mouse.  And  guess  what  happened?  It  started  to  communicate  
more!  So  what  do  you  think  the  forgotten  organ  inside  you  is  doing  right  now?  Is  it  
keeping  you  healthy?  Is  it  keeping  you  happy?  If  microbes  can  help  mice  make  friends,  
just  think  what  they  can  do  for  you!  
 

Impact  2     Copyright  ©  2017  National  Geographic  Learning,  a  part  of  Cengage  Learning.    

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