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A hint of the Greek word bios, meaning "life", can be seen in microbe. Microbes, or microorganisms, include bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae, amoebas, and slime molds. Many people think of microbes as simply the causes of disease, but every human is actually the host to billions of microbes, and most of them are essential to our life. Much research is now going into possible microbial sources of future energy; algae looks particularly promising, as do certain newly discovered or created microbes that can produce cellulose, to be turned into ethanol and other biofuels.
Examples of microbe in a Sentence
Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
Probiotics contain some of the beneficial microbes normally found in the gut.
—Maxine Lipner, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2024
Because when someone’s going through menopause, their hormones are in disarray and going through changes, but when our gut is healthy, one of the functions of the trillions of microbes is to actually help with hormone production.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2024
By studying carbon isotopes in both the older and younger layers of microbes, the geologists also noted a shift toward iron-dependent microorganisms in the oceans, per Scientific American.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near microbe
Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
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