Zine | The Secret Life of Microbes

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The Secret Life of Microbes

The Secret Life of Microbes is a final year zine project that explores the human body on a microscopic level.

The human body is very complex and consists of various mechanisms and organisms working together in order for it to function. I therefore chose to focus on only four parts of the body and illustrate a micro-organism that can commonly be found in each of the chosen areas of the body. Each micro-organism that is illustrated has a nickname that is based on its scientific name. Each micro-organism's body shape is also based on that of the actual bacteria as seen under a microscope and each of the four have occupations which I felt would suit their environments.

The Secret Life of Microbes - Cover

In the below illustration we find a Corynebacterium a.k.a. Cory, who lives in your nose and uses the mucus that your nose produces to create ceramic pieces which he sells to make a living out of. He especially flourishes during times when the body host gets sick with flu and he ends up with more than enough supplies.

Cory the Potter - Environment

Cory the Potter - Profile

Next we have Streptococcus gordonii, or Gordon for short. He lives in the mouth cavity and makes use of leftover pieces of food that gets stuck between your teeth to create fancy food for other micro-organisms that are also found in the mouth cavity.

Gordon the Chef - Environment

Gordon the Chef - Profile

The next character is nicknamed Phil as his full name, Haemophilus influenzae, is a bit hard to pronounce. What Phil does best is pruning off alveoli in the lung to ensure that everything stays healthy and that we can breathe normally. He also uses the pieces prunes off to create wines and juices that he takes to a bar elsewhere in the body.

Phil the Farmer - Environment

Phil the Farmer - Profile

Lastly there are the Fido twins a.k.a. Bifidobacterium who live in the stomach cavity. They are constantly performing science experiments to ensure that the pH levels in the stomach are regulated. Some days things go haywire and you'll feel a little queezy with a rumble in your stomach, but before long everything will be back to normal.