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About Microbiology
About Microbiology

Micro-organisms affect every aspect of life on Earth. Some microbes cause disease but the majority are completely harmless.

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More on About Microbiology

Introducing microbes

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Overview

Bacteria

Viruses

Fungi

Protozoa

Algae

Archaea

Microbe Passports

Microbes and the human body

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Microbes and disease

Immune system

Antibody-antigen complex

Routes of transmission

Vaccination

Antibiotics

Microbes and food

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Food poisoning

Spoilers

Producers

Microbes and the outdoors

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Carbon cycle

Nitrogen cycle

Food chain

Microbes and climate change

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Microbes and biofuels

Climate change and health
Microbes have been around longer than anything else on Earth, longer even than dinosaurs.

If you imagine Earth began as a single day: Microbes appeared at 5am, Dinosaurs appeared at 10pm... and humans appeared seconds before midnight
Teachers
Teachers

Micro-organisms can be used to demonstrate principles of biology and to model industrial processes, as well as offering opportunities for teaching across the curriculum.

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Microbes and basic principles

Safety information

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Safety guidelines

Risk assessment

Good microbiological laboratory practice

Spillage management

Activities

Practical advice

Preparation of media and cultures

Observing microbes

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Algae

Observing bacteria in a petri dish

Observing fungi in a petri dish

Protozoa

Microscopes

The Society books

Resources

Microbial recipes
The largest organism in the world when measured by area is the Honey Mushroom fungus. It covers a whopping 8.9km2 of a national forest in the USA.
Students
Students

Microbes often suffer from negative press but guess what, only 5% actually cause disease and many more are very helpful.

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Microbe Passports

STI Quiz and Tutorial

Revision tips

Microbial recipes

Resources
Microbes generate at least half the oxygen we breathe.
What's new
What's new

Keeping up with the latest news and research about microbes is easy with Microbiology Online – your one-stop shop for microbial science education.

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Podcasts

Videos

News

Microbiology Today
Most microbes do not cause disease - less than 5% do.
About Us
About Us

The Microbiology Society is a professional body for scientists who work in all areas of microbiology. It has over 4,000 members worldwide who are based in universities, industry, hospitals and research institutes.

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Grants

Contacts

Links

Glossary

Credits
Botox is made from a deadly bacterial toxin which is used in very small doses to remove wrinkles.

Blood cell infected with malaria parasite

Malaria is caused by the single-celled parasite Plasmodium. It is transmitted from one person to another by certain species of blood sucking mosquito. The parasite spends part of its complex life cycle inside red blood cells.

More about microbes

What’s in the background?

Home
About Microbiology
About Microbiology

Micro-organisms affect every aspect of life on Earth. Some microbes cause disease but the majority are completely harmless.

More on About Microbiology

Back

Introducing microbes

Back

Overview

Bacteria

Viruses

Fungi

Protozoa

Algae

Archaea

Microbe Passports

Microbes and the human body

Back

Microbes and disease

Immune system

Antibody-antigen complex

Routes of transmission

Vaccination

Antibiotics

Microbes and food

Back

Food poisoning

Spoilers

Producers

Microbes and the outdoors

Back

Carbon cycle

Nitrogen cycle

Food chain

Microbes and climate change

Back

Microbes and biofuels

Climate change and health
Most microbes do not cause disease - less than 5% do.
Teachers
Teachers

Micro-organisms can be used to demonstrate principles of biology and to model industrial processes, as well as offering opportunities for teaching across the curriculum.

More on Teachers

Back

Microbes and basic principles

Safety information

Back

Safety guidelines

Risk assessment

Good microbiological laboratory practice

Spillage management

Activities

Practical advice

Preparation of media and cultures

Observing microbes

Back

Algae

Observing bacteria in a petri dish

Observing fungi in a petri dish

Protozoa

Microscopes

The Society books

Resources

Microbial recipes
The largest organism in the world when measured by area is the Honey Mushroom fungus. It covers a whopping 8.9km2 of a national forest in the USA.
Students
Students

Microbes often suffer from negative press but guess what, only 5% actually cause disease and many more are very helpful.

More on Students

Back

Microbe Passports

STI Quiz and Tutorial

Revision tips

Microbial recipes

Resources
Cattle belching and farting produce about 20% of the Earth’s methane.
What's new
What's new

Keeping up with the latest news and research about microbes is easy with Microbiology Online – your one-stop shop for microbial science education.

More on What's new

Back

Podcasts

Videos

News

Microbiology Today
If you pick up a handful of garden soil you will be holding hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of microbes.

One single teaspoon of soil contains 1 billion bacteria & 120,000 fungi & 25,000 algae
About Us
About Us

The Microbiology Society is a professional body for scientists who work in all areas of microbiology. It has over 4,000 members worldwide who are based in universities, industry, hospitals and research institutes.

More on About Us

Back

Grants

Contacts

Links

Glossary

Credits
According to Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist in Arizona the bathroom is cleaner then the kitchen in the average house. He says you're safer making a sandwich on top of the toilet bowl than in the kitchen.

Contacts

Get in touch with the Microbiology Society.

By post

Microbiology Society

Charles Darwin House

12 Roger Street

London

WC1N 2JU

By phone

+44 (0)20 7685 2400

By email

education@microbiologysociety.org