Microbes

/ˈmaɪkroʊbz/ noun

Definition

Tiny living organisms that are so small you can only see them with a microscope, like bacteria and some fungi.

Etymology

From Greek 'micro-' (small) and 'bios' (life). The word was coined in the 1800s as microscopes became powerful enough to reveal these invisible life forms. It literally means 'small life.'

Kelly Says

There are more microbes in a single teaspoon of soil than there are people on Earth, and without them we couldn't digest food, make cheese, or have soil that grows plants!

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