• Question: Good morning! My question is to you... how many cells are in a human body?

    Asked by rate520john on 4 Apr 2025. This question was also asked by used520john.
    • Photo: Erin Pallott

      Erin Pallott answered on 4 Apr 2025:

      An estimated 30 TRILLION cells! And then, double that (or more!) to include all of the bacteria that makes up our microbiota. They are not “our” cells, but they’re part of our biological functions.

    • Photo: Charlotte Slade

      Charlotte Slade answered on 1 Jul 2025:

      The best estimates say there are more cells in your body than there are stars in our entire Milky Way galaxy.

      The number scientists usually agree on is somewhere around 37 trillion (that’s a 37 with 12 zeroes after it!). Each one of these cells is like a tiny, living machine, and they all have different jobs to do, from carrying oxygen to making you think.

      But here’s the twist that I find amazing, and it shows what a team sport life really is. On top of your 37 trillion human cells, you also have about the same number of non-human cells living in and on you, mostly bacteria and other microbes in your gut. They’re your microscopic teammates that help you digest food and stay healthy.

      So, you’re not just a single thing. You’re a bustling, walking universe made of about 70 trillion tiny living parts, all working together. It’s incredible

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