Cells in the body
Cells are the structural and functional units of the body, differentiated into around 200 distinct types.
The numbers
- Total cells
- about 36 trillion
- Red blood cells
- about 80% of the count
- Bacterial cells carried
- about 38 trillion
- Distinct cell types
- roughly 200
Worth knowing
Red blood cells dominate the count while contributing little mass, because they are small and numerous. By mass, muscle and fat cells dominate. A 2016 estimate put human and bacterial cell counts at roughly parity — about 30 trillion each — with the bacteria concentrated almost entirely in the colon.
A common claim that is wrong
The claim that bacteria outnumber human cells ten to one is obsolete. It traced to a 1972 estimate never intended as precise; careful counting puts the ratio close to 1:1.
Structural reference only — this is not medical advice, and individual variation in every figure here is substantial. Anything concerning your own health belongs with a clinician rather than a reference page.
Common questions
- What does the cells in the body do?
- Cells are the structural and functional units of the body, differentiated into around 200 distinct types..
- Cells in the body — key numbers
- Total cells: about 36 trillion. Red blood cells: about 80% of the count. Bacterial cells carried: about 38 trillion. Distinct cell types: roughly 200.
- Is it true that…
- The claim that bacteria outnumber human cells ten to one is obsolete. It traced to a 1972 estimate never intended as precise; careful counting puts the ratio close to 1:1.
Related pages
- Body water About 60% of an adult male by mass, 55% of an adult female.
- Heart Organs
- Brain Organs
- Bones Bones
- Blood types Blood
- Teeth Teeth
- Blood Blood
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place