A microbe is any living thing that spends its life at a size visible sometimes only with a microscope. It is too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. Microbes are the oldest form of life on Earth. Some types have existed for billions of years.
Bacteria:
- Some bacteria are helpful and protective to humans, they flourish naturally in our bodies to help to protect us from infections.
- Certain bacteria found in infections can cause serious illnesses. A bacterial infection may be treated with a course of antibiotics.
- They have been found to live in temperatures that are above boiling point and in cold that would freeze human blood.
- They 'eat' everything from sugar and starch to sunlight, sulfur and iron.
- Bacteria can be found virtually anywhere, they're in the air, the soil, and water and in and on plants and animals, including us.
- The human mouth is home to more than 500 species of bacteria.
- Some are rod or stick-shaped, these are called Bacili.
- Others are shaped like little balls called Cocci.
- Other forms of bacteria are helical or spiral shaped.
- Some bacteria calls exist as individuals while others cluster together to form pairs, chains, squares or other groupings.
Viruses:
- There are some antiviral medicines which stop the virus from multiplying and so 'control' the virus and the infection that it causes.
- They widely differentiate in shape and complexity. Some look like round popcorn balls, while others have a complicated shape that looks like a spider and of the Apollo lunar lander.
- Viral diseases can be very difficult to treat because viruses live inside your body's cells, where they are protected from medicines in the blood stream.
Fungal:
- Fungal infections commonly affect the skin and nails in humans.
- Most fungi are free-living in the environment and few of these are capable of causing infection in even the healthiest of people.
- The part of the fungus that we see is only the 'fruit' of the organism.
- The living body of the fungus is a mycelium made out of a web of tiny filaments called hyphae. These webs live unseen until they develop mushroom, puffballs, truffles, brackets, cups, 'bird nests', 'corals', or other fruiting bodies. If the mycelium produces microscopic fruiting bodies, people may never notice the fungus.
Yeasts:
- Yeasts are a type of fungus.
- Treatment for yeast infections usually work well with anti-yeast creams and medicines.
Parasites:
- A parasite is a type of germ that needs to live on or in another living organism called 'a host', to survive.
- Parasites feed off the host.
- Parasites are not as common as other types of germs.
- They're usually found in contaminated water or food, yet can get in the body by insect bites or by sexual contact.
Protozoa:
- Protozoa play a big role in maintaining the balance of bacterial, algal, and other microbial life by hunting and grazing through the microbial world.
- It has been found in almost every kind of soil environment. They teem in deep sea as well as near the surface of waters, and can be found even in frigid Arctic and Antarctic waters.
- Some species of protozoa are part of the normal microbial flora of animals , and live in the guts of insects and mammals, helping to break down complex food particles into simpler molecules. A very small number of species cause disease in people, including Plasmodium vivax, which causes malaria.
Algae:
- Algae are found in fresh and salt water all over the world.
- When enough water in available they can grow on rocks, trees and in soil.
- Most algae make energy from sunlight and produce a large amount of the oxygen that we breath.
- At some stages of their life, certain types of algae get their nutrients from other living things.
I'm going to find out what places each of these microbes thrive, focusing on the home and largelt used public areas.
