Water microbes
Microbes in pools, bogs & streams
Click each image for further information
Microbes are the most numerous living things on earth. The term 'microbe' or micro-organism refers to diverse and unrelated organisms which are microscopic in size, often single celled. They include cyanobacteria, bateria, algae and protists. Protists themselves are diverse. Some are plant-like, possessing the green photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll. This, like plants, enables them to build sugars from carbon dioxide and water, using solar energy. Oxygen is a byproduct. Other protists are animal-like, feeding from existing biological material. Some are carnivorous. Protista is really a category of convenience including many unrelated species. Some microbes form colonies large enough to be easily visible by eye, particularly the cyanobacteria.