Metabolism
This is the word for the hidden superpower your body uses to turn the food you eat into the energy you need to run and play.
Metabolism
The human microbiome is made up of trillions of these microscopic living things, which include helpful bacteria.
Microbes
What type of food nutrient, found in fruits and vegetables, can humans not digest on their own without gut bacteria?
Fiber
What is the basic structural and functional unit of all living things?
Cells
Which specialized blood cells are shaped like little donuts and carry oxygen all through your body?
Red blood cells
These units are found on food nutrition labels and measure the exact amount of energy a food gives to your body.
Calories
The absolute largest neighborhood of microbes lives inside this specific part of your digestive system.
Gut
What do gut microbes produce for us when they break down the food leftovers we can't digest?
Vitamins
What is the clear, jelly-like liquid that fills the cell and holds the organelles?
Cytoplasm
What type of cells belong to your immune system and fight off germs, bacteria, and viruses?
White blood cells
This main digestive organ acts like a chemical blender, breaking down your lunch with strong acids before it is turned into energy.
Stomach
Unlike the bad germs that make you sick, the good bacteria in your gut actually help you do this to your food.
Digest
What can happen to your metabolism or digestion if your gut microbiome gets unhealthy or out of balance?
You might get stomach aches, gas, or have trouble absorbing nutrients.
What is the outer layer of a human cell that controls what goes in and out of it?
The cell membrane
Also called neurons, what cells send electrical messages between your brain and the rest of your body?
Nerve Cells
These special helper proteins inside your body speed up chemical reactions to help chop up food into tiny pieces.
Enzymes
Eating foods with fiber, like fruits and vegetables, acts as this type of "food" that feeds and strengthens your good gut bacteria.
Prebiotics
What type of medication can wipe out the good bacteria in your microbiome while trying to cure a bacterial sickness?
Antiobiotics
What is known as the "brain" or control center of the human cell because it holds the DNA?
Nucleus
What long, stretchy cells contract and relax to help your body bend and move?
Muscle cells
This simple type of sugar is what your body breaks food down into so your cells can easily use it for fuel.
Glucose
These are live, friendly bacteria found in foods like yogurt that you can eat to add more good microbes to your gut team.
Probiotics
What do we call the non-digestible food parts that act as "food" to feed your good gut microbes?
Prebiotics
What is the "powerhouse" of the cell, this organelle turns food into energy that the cell can use?
Mitochondrion
What flat, closely packed cells form the outer layer of your skin to protect your body from the outside world?
Skin Cell