Question

What are the five types of microbes?

Answer 1

Hint: Microbes are known to be small mostly unicellular organisms that are visible only under the microscope and cannot be seen by the naked eye. They are both useful as well as harmful to humans.

Complete answer:
The five different types of microbes are- bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea and protists. Bacteria are a type of microbe that have various different shapes such as rod, spherical, spiral, comma shaped, etc. they do not have a true nucleus or defined organelles. The cell is surrounded by a cell wall made up of peptidoglycan that confers rigidity. They reproduce either by binary fission or horizontal gene transfer that includes conjugation, transformation and transduction. Under unfavorable conditions they are capable of forming spores that grow only when the conditions become suitable again.

Fungi can be either unicellular or multicellular and unlike bacteria their cell wall is made up of chitin. Fungi comprises of defined nucleus as well as organelles and reproduction can take place by both sexual and asexual means. Viruses are non-cellular microbes that are only in living state when inside the host cell and can reproduce only then using the host machinery. They are made up of proteins, lipid and genetic material. Protists are also unicellular protists which are either autotrophic or heterotrophic. They reproduce mostly by budding or binary fission. Archaea are primitive microbes that are capable of tolerating extreme environmental conditions and their cell wall comprises of unique lipids that help in their survival.

Note: All the above mentioned microbes are both advantageous and disadvantageous to humans. As a result of which their structures and functions should be properly studied that might help to treat any disease caused by them.