much like an aquarium creates beneficial bacteria (nitrate) to "eat" the ammonia and nitrite, the same concept occurs in your kitchen sink in the process of washing dishes. i will not get into the science of the whole process because it is much more in depth and complicated then just keeping fish.
anyways, on to my question. if you were to plug your umbilical cord after cutting it upon birth, would your guts spill out if you unplugged it 20 years later?