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Defining microbes

This article introduces what microbes are and the different types.
In this step, we will define what microbes are and the different types of microbes.

Please note, a glossary is available for this course and can be accessed here or in the downloads section below. This can be used throughout the course.

A microbe is a micro-organism with microscopic or sub-microscopic size, meaning they can not be seen with the naked eye.

There are several different types of microbes, detailed in the diagram below:

Viruses are dependent on cellular synthesis machinery to replicate. This can often, but not always, result in cell death. Examples of viruses include measles, influenza, HIV, and Zika Bacteria are prokaryotes, meaning they lack a nucleus or other organelles. Most, but not all, are free-living. Examples of bacteria include tuberculosis, skin and wound infections pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases Fungi are eukaryotes, meaning they have nuclei and organelles. Fungi can exist as yeasts or moulds: yeast are single-celled organisms (e.g. Saccharomyces cerevisiae), while moulds form tubular extensions known as hyphae (fuzzy structures seen on old bread). Most fungi are larger than bacteria, and they have a rigid external cell wall and generally grow more slowly than bacteria. Examples of fungi include vaginal and oral candidiasis, fungal meningitis, aspergillosis, athlete’s foot, and toenail fungus. Protozoa are single-celled eukaryotes and can be differentiated from algae because they are unable to carry out photosynthesis. Examples of protozoa include malaria, leishmaniasis, and giardiasis. Prions are misfolded proteins with the ability to transmit their misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein.

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if you require a screen-reader compatible version this is available as a PDF.

Size comparison of microbes

Virus Bacteria Fungi/Protozoa
0.03-0.3 μm 0.1 – 10μm 4 – 10μm
Electron microscope Light microscope Visible to naked eye

In the next step, we will look at how microbes can be classified.

© BSAC
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Introduction to Practical Microbiology

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