What Are Microbes?

Microbes, short for micro-organisms, are single-cell life forms that can only be seen through a microscope. Microbes are everywhere. Some cause disease while others keep people healthy. They grow on everything and they are so small you don't even notice they are there. Microbes are divided into five categories in order to understand them better.

Viruses

• A virus is a small amount of genetic material inside a viral coat (shell). Viruses are in any area where there are cells that can be infected by them. They exist to reproduce by taking over specific suitable host cells. It deposits its genetic code into the cell and then uses the cells ability to reproduce. The new genes turn into a new virus that is released from the cell to invade more cells.

Bacteria

• Bacteria are hardy critters. They live in all environments and temperatures and very little stops them. They come in three basic shapes rod, ball or spiral. While some live as individuals others tend to group together. They survive off of sunlight, oxygen, food in your stomach even sulfur from volcanoes in the oceans depths. They are everywhere doing their job of cleaning up. Every square inch of skin has approximately 100,000 bacteria cleaning away.

Algae

• Algae are found in the waters of the world. Their energy comes directly from sunlight while some get their food from other living organisms. The important aspect of algae is they produce a large amount of the oxygen that people breathe. Algae are not as tough as other microbes and are easily killed off by environmental changes. When this happens, large changes in the amount of oxygen produced in the water affect everyone.

Fungi

• Fungi eat other organisms. They are single-celled organisms that can grow in chains up to a mile long. Yeast is a single-celled fungi, while mushrooms are multicellular. Fungi form strands of cells called hyphae. Many fungi growing together, is what gives the fuzzy appearance on fruits. Acidic environments are where fungi grow best. Fungi are stationary creatures that break down dead plants and animals.

Protozoa

• Protozoa absorb food through their cell tissues. There are different methods that protozoa use to eat, but they all eat microbes. As they eat, they produce nitrogen which is another element higher life forms need to survive. Protozoa move about in order to hunt for food. They are mostly harmless except for a few types that can cause horrible diseases like malaria.