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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
Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
When this delicate ecosystem falls out of balance, oral dysbiosis can take hold, leading to gum disease, tooth decay and even the migration of harmful microbes into the gut and bloodstream.
—Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Setting out to determine whether microbes with similar abilities exist in the human body, researchers introduced 20 species of human gut bacteria into mice to make their microbiomes more similar to those of humans.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 July 2025
Salt can seep into surrounding grass and turn it brown, poison plants around your patio, and kill beneficial soil microbes and worms.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for microbe
Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
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