Mircrobes
There are 6 categories of microbes, listed below.
1. Bacteria
Simple, one-celled organisms that multiply rapidly and are classified by their shape and arrangement
Some common diseases caused by bacteria include strep throat, pneumonia, TB, C-diff, syphilis, and cholera
2. Protozoa
One-celled, animal-like organisms that may have flagella for movement and that are found in decayed matter and contaminated water, bird feces, and insect bites
Some are pathogenic
Some common diseases caused by protozoa include malaria and E. coli
3. Fungi
Simple, plant-like organisms that live on dead organic matter and can be pathogenic
Examples of fungal diseases include ringworm, athlete’s foot, and thrush
Antibiotics don’t kill fungi, so treatment includes anti-fungal medications
4. Rickettsiae
Parasitic microorganisms that cannot live outside the cells of another living organism
Commonly found in fleas, lice, ticks, and mites and are transmitted to humans by the bites of insects
Can cause diseases such as typhus fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Antibiotics are effective against many different rickettsiae
5. Viruses
The smallest microorganisms, so an electron microscope is required to see them
Must be inside another living cell to reproduce
Have a nucleic acid with a protein coat
Spread by blood and body secretions, and they cause many diseases and are very difficult to kill
The incubation period for viruses varies
Examples include the common cold, rhinovirus, mumps, varicella, influenza, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, epstein-barr, HPV, herpes, measles, enterovirus, norovirus, coronavirus, and rabies
Viruses infecting animals can mutate to infect humans such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), West Nile Virus (WNV), Monkeypox, Ebola, and Influenza (H5N1; Avian flu)
6. Helminths
Multicellular parasitic organisms called worms or flukes
Transmitted when humans eat contaminated food or through bites. Examples include hookworms, trichinosis, pinworm, and tapeworm
BY: Richa Kuklani
Sources:
https://byjus.com/biology/microbes/
https://www.amnh.org/explore/microbe-facts
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Book%3A_Microbiology_(Boundless)/1%3A_Introduction_to_Microbiology/1.2%3A_Microbes_and_the_World/1.2A_Type s_of_Microorganisms
