[Andy Steed]

Andy Steed  asked the Naked Scientists:

Hello Naked Scientists!

Thanks for such an interesting show! It's the best thing on my iPod by far! :-D

I have a question that's been bugging me. I read that Cholera is so successful partly because it invades the gut where the immune system is weaker. But how do the bacteria know that they are in the gut? Similarly, how do some bacteria know how to give you a sore throat?

Thanks again,
Andrew Steed

What do you think?

[Madidus_Scientia]

They don't know they're in the gut, they just happen to be there since you swallowed them.

[thedoc]

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