Final answer:
While some bacteria are pathogenic, many are integral to our well-being, helping to fend off disease-causing organisms, assist in digestion, and provide essential nutrients. The Human Microbiome Project explores the role our bacterial flora play in overall health. Antibiotics can affect both harmful and beneficial bacteria, underscoring the importance of these microorganisms in our bodies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contrary to the belief that all bacteria cause disease, there are many helpful bacteria that play essential roles in the human body. These bacteria reside on our skin and inside our body, especially within the gastrointestinal tract. They defend the body from pathogens by competing for food and space, making it difficult for harmful bacteria to multiply and cause illness.
The Human Microbiome Project aims to catalog our normal bacterial flora to better understand these functions. These helpful bacteria form part of our body's biological barriers, preventing pathogenic bacteria from establishing themselves. In the context of antibiotic usage, it's important to note that while antibiotics target the bacteria causing illness, they can also disrupt the balance of good bacteria that protect our body.
Overall, helpful bacteria contribute to making foods and medicines, recycling nutrients in the environment, and maintaining the gut flora, which is essential for the proper function of our digestive system and immune health.