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Our world is full of microorganisms, life forms too small to be seen except with special equipment. These microbes, as they are called, can cause sickness, disease, and death. Some microbes, however, are beneficial and even necessary for our survival.
As you explore the world of microbes, you'll learn more about how they impact our everyday lives.
Places To Go 
People To See Things To Do Teacher Resources Bibliography
Places To GoCDC: Center for Disease
Control: Bioterrorism
Visit the Center for Disease Control and learn about the possible kinds of bio-threats that deal with microbial agents such as anthrax.
Visit the Center for Disease Control and learn about the possible kinds of bio-threats that deal with microbial agents such as anthrax.
The Great Pandemic
Virtually travel back in time to 1918 and 1919. During that time, the Spanish flu killed over 25 million people worldwide. This deadly virus spread quickly and caused the death of about 5% of the world’s population.
Virtually travel back in time to 1918 and 1919. During that time, the Spanish flu killed over 25 million people worldwide. This deadly virus spread quickly and caused the death of about 5% of the world’s population.
Intimate
Strangers: Unseen Life on Earth
This site focuses on the role microbes play on our planet's ecosystem and includes classroom activities that encourage students to explore the basic requirements for life to exist, describe the role of microbes in the world, and learn more about health promotion and disease prevention.
This site focuses on the role microbes play on our planet's ecosystem and includes classroom activities that encourage students to explore the basic requirements for life to exist, describe the role of microbes in the world, and learn more about health promotion and disease prevention.
Lichens
Travel to the arctic tundra and learn about lichen. Lichen are a combination of fungus and alga or bacterium. They consist of tiny algal cells mixed with threadlike fungi. Lichen grow very slowly, and some lichen in the arctic are more than 4000 years old. In artic regions, lichen are an important food source for reindeer or caribou and often provide up to 70% of their diet. However, many areas of lichen were contaminated with radiation from the Chernobyl leak in 1986. Reindeer have continued to eat this contaminated food source for many years. If humans eat the reindeer, the radiation is passed on to them.
Travel to the arctic tundra and learn about lichen. Lichen are a combination of fungus and alga or bacterium. They consist of tiny algal cells mixed with threadlike fungi. Lichen grow very slowly, and some lichen in the arctic are more than 4000 years old. In artic regions, lichen are an important food source for reindeer or caribou and often provide up to 70% of their diet. However, many areas of lichen were contaminated with radiation from the Chernobyl leak in 1986. Reindeer have continued to eat this contaminated food source for many years. If humans eat the reindeer, the radiation is passed on to them.
Microbe World
Microbe World is your gateway to the world of microbes. Explore bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi and other microbes. The site also includes microbial facts and trivia.
Microbe World is your gateway to the world of microbes. Explore bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi and other microbes. The site also includes microbial facts and trivia.
Microbe
Zoo
A microbe is any living organism that spends its life at a size too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. At this site, you'll discover the world of hidden microbes.
A microbe is any living organism that spends its life at a size too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. At this site, you'll discover the world of hidden microbes.
National
Institutes of Health
Visit the National Institute of Health and find out what you can do to avoid the microorganisms that cause food-borne diseases such as botulism and salmonella.
Visit the National Institute of Health and find out what you can do to avoid the microorganisms that cause food-borne diseases such as botulism and salmonella.
People To SeeAnton
van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)
Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria, free-living and parasitic microscopic protists, sperm cells, blood cells, microscopic nematodes and rotifers, and much more.
Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria, free-living and parasitic microscopic protists, sperm cells, blood cells, microscopic nematodes and rotifers, and much more.
Compost
Microorganisms
In the process of composting, microorganisms break down organic matter and produce carbon dioxide, water, heat, and humus, the relatively stable organic end product.
In the process of composting, microorganisms break down organic matter and produce carbon dioxide, water, heat, and humus, the relatively stable organic end product.
Jenner and Smallpox
Visit with Edward Jenner, an English doctor in the late 1700s. He discovered that people infected with a mild disease called cowpox often did not become infected with deadly smallpox. His early discoveries and experiments led to the first vaccinations against diseases such as smallpox.
Visit with Edward Jenner, an English doctor in the late 1700s. He discovered that people infected with a mild disease called cowpox often did not become infected with deadly smallpox. His early discoveries and experiments led to the first vaccinations against diseases such as smallpox.
Joseph Lister
Get to know Joseph Lister, a 19th century British surgeon. His studies were able to show a connection between microbes and disease, and he pioneered the use of antiseptics in surgery.
Get to know Joseph Lister, a 19th century British surgeon. His studies were able to show a connection between microbes and disease, and he pioneered the use of antiseptics in surgery.
Louis
Pasteur
Louis Pasteur's discoveries paved the way for modern medicine. He tackled the problem of disease and demonstrated that microbes are infectious agents.
Louis Pasteur's discoveries paved the way for modern medicine. He tackled the problem of disease and demonstrated that microbes are infectious agents.
Sir
Alexander Fleming
Learn about the man who discovered that mold can inhibit the growth of bacteria. Because it led to the development of penicillin, an enormously potent infection-fighting agent, this discovery changed the course of history.
Learn about the man who discovered that mold can inhibit the growth of bacteria. Because it led to the development of penicillin, an enormously potent infection-fighting agent, this discovery changed the course of history.
Things To DoAmerican
Museum of Natural History: Infection, Detection, Protection
Solve bacterial mysteries and find out what you can do to prevent microbial invasions.
Solve bacterial mysteries and find out what you can do to prevent microbial invasions.
Dennis Kunkel
Microbiology
This Image Gallery contains hundreds of scientific, biological and medical images photographed with electron microscopes and light microscopes.
This Image Gallery contains hundreds of scientific, biological and medical images photographed with electron microscopes and light microscopes.
E.Coli - KidsHealth
E. coli is a common type of bacteria that can make you pretty sick. Read more in this article for kids.
E. coli is a common type of bacteria that can make you pretty sick. Read more in this article for kids.
Foodborne
Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook (pdf)
Explore the different microorganisms that make us sick from salmonella to shigella to clostridium perfringens.
Explore the different microorganisms that make us sick from salmonella to shigella to clostridium perfringens.
How Light Microscopes Work
The human eye misses a lot -- enter the incredible world of the microscopic! Explore how a light microscope works.
The human eye misses a lot -- enter the incredible world of the microscopic! Explore how a light microscope works.
Mayo
Clinic: Botulism
Find out about the bacteria called Clostridium botulinum and how it can cause death within 24 hours if ingested.
Find out about the bacteria called Clostridium botulinum and how it can cause death within 24 hours if ingested.
Micro-Angela:
Electron Microscope Image Gallery
Colorized images from scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) in the Biological Electron Microscope Facility.
Colorized images from scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) in the Biological Electron Microscope Facility.
The
Microbe World
Microbes are everywhere - a largely unseen world of living things that support life processes. "The Microbe World" provides a comprehensive directory of micro-organisms and their activities.
Microbes are everywhere - a largely unseen world of living things that support life processes. "The Microbe World" provides a comprehensive directory of micro-organisms and their activities.
Mission
Environment: Decomposers
Learn about the role of decomposer that microorganisms play in food webs and ecosystems. Then learn a song about decomposers.
Learn about the role of decomposer that microorganisms play in food webs and ecosystems. Then learn a song about decomposers.
Molecular
Expressions
This website claims that it goes where no microscope has gone before. Click on the Gallery links to see huge collections of images taken with an optical microscope.
This website claims that it goes where no microscope has gone before. Click on the Gallery links to see huge collections of images taken with an optical microscope.
Murray the Thespian
Microbe
Meet Murray the microbe, a four-inch-tall bacterium who sports Reeboks and lives in a parallel universe. Along the way you learn all about bacteria, how they live, what they eat, what they look like and how they reproduce.
Meet Murray the microbe, a four-inch-tall bacterium who sports Reeboks and lives in a parallel universe. Along the way you learn all about bacteria, how they live, what they eat, what they look like and how they reproduce.
Nanoworld
Step into the Nanoworld and view all kinds of organisms magnified hundreds of times. In the Image Gallery, you can see a blood cell or a pig nerve magnified as much as 4,000 times.
Step into the Nanoworld and view all kinds of organisms magnified hundreds of times. In the Image Gallery, you can see a blood cell or a pig nerve magnified as much as 4,000 times.
Scanning Electron
Microscope
Take a unique microscopic look at the barbed mouth parts of a deer tick or the scruffy hairs atop a mosquito's head photographed at several hundred times life size.
Take a unique microscopic look at the barbed mouth parts of a deer tick or the scruffy hairs atop a mosquito's head photographed at several hundred times life size.
Web
MD Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh-Eating Bacteria)
Find out if our fears about new strains of flesh-eating bacteria are founded.
Find out if our fears about new strains of flesh-eating bacteria are founded.
What Doesn't
Kill Them Makes Them Stronger
Find out why some bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics.
Find out why some bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics.
Teacher Resources
Bibliography- Balkwill, Dr. Fran and Mic Rolph. Cells Are Us. First Avenue Editions, 1994.
- Balkwill, Dr. Fran and Mic Rolph. Cell Wars. First Avenue Editions, 1994.
- Birch, Beverley and Christian Birmingham. Pasteur's Fight Against Microbes. Barrons Juveniles, 1996.
- Dixon, Bernard. Power Unseen: How Microbes Rule the World. Oxford University Press, 1996.
- Karlen, Arno. Man and Microbes: Disease and Plagues in History and Modern Time. Touchstone Books, 1996.
- Krulik, Nancy E. and Bruce Degen. The Magic School Bus in a Pickle : A Book About Microbes. Scholastic, 1998.
- Postgate, J.R. Microbes and Man. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- Sankaran, Neeraja. Microbes and People: An A-Z of Microorganisms in Our Lives. Oryx Press, 2001.
- Silverstein, Alvin and Virginia B. Silverstein. A World in a Drop of Water: Exploring With a Microscope. Dover, 1998.