1 A MICROSCOPIC WORLD MICROBES – THE FACTORY OF EVERYTHING WARM UP Do you study microbiology in your school? According to what you have studied, are microbes useful, useless or harmful? What are microbes? Microbes, or microorganisms, are creatures that individually are too small to be seen by the eye. They are the oldest form of life on Earth and, by weight, represent 60% of the biomass of all life on Earth. They live everywhere: in the soil, water, and air, in animal intestines, and in extreme such as rocks, glaciers, hot , and deep seas. The wide variety of microbial habitats reflects an enormous diversity of biochemical and metabolic . tiny naked 1 settings springs traits Disadvantages of microbes Microorganisms can be both very and very : some of them are as they can cause serious diseases, such as malaria, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, and typhoid fever. Some may contaminate food and cause food or even food poisoning. harmful useful pathogens spoilage Advantages of microbes However, . They make about half the oxygen we breathe. They are the foundation of the food chain that all life on earth. They have been used for thousands of years to make fermented foods such as bread, cheese, and yoghurt. Some soil microbes release nitrogen that plants need for growth and emit gases that maintain the precarious composition of the Earth's atmosphere. They are also at work in agriculture, industry, pollution control, and medicine. In our bodies, different microbes help to digest food, invasive organisms and engage in battles with the human immune system. the majority of microbes contribute to the quality of human life feeds 1 ward off Microbes are a source of new genes and organisms of value in biotechnology and energy production. Microbial genomes are relatively easy to study, so understanding their genomes helps understand how more complex genomes developed. Groups of microbes There are five basic groups of microbes: (yeasts and moulds), , and . bacteria, fungi protozoa, microalgae viruses MORE Microbes were the first forms of life on our planet and have survived by adapting to ever-changing environments, from simple one-celled life forms to intelligent, decision-making, life-sustaining species in charge of many primar functions in biochemical and biological balances. 1 DO Do you know what is? If you need more information about it and its usefulness, surf the Net and find out. 1 nitrogen The human microbiome is the genetic material of all the microbes that live on and inside the human body