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7.1.Microbes
Unit 7 : Microbial pollution
7.1.Microbes
Many living things are so small that they can only be seen through a microscope. These living things are called micro-organisms or microbes. There are three main types of microbe:
- Fungi
- Bacteria
- Viruses
Mushrooms and toadstools are fungi, but these are made of lots of cells, so they are not microbes. Yeasts are single-celled fungi, so they are microbes. Fungi are usually the biggest type of microbe. If there is just one of them, we call it a fungus.
Bacteria
Bacteria are usually smaller than fungi. If there is just one of them, we call it a bacterium. Bacteria have many different shapes. Some have 'tails' (called flagella) that let them swim.
Bacteria are usually smaller than fungi. If there is just one of them, we call it a bacterium. Bacteria have many different shapes. Some have 'tails' (called flagella) that let them swim.
Viruses
Viruses are the smallest type of microbe. As a virus can only reproduce inside a cell, some people are not convinced that viruses are really living things.
Last modified: Monday, 13 June 2011, 10:49 AM