Microbiology: What is it and Why does it matter?
ARTIS-Micropia is the world’s first museum dedicated to microbes and microbiology. Here, you’ll explore an invisible world and see living microbes through real microscopes. But what exactly is microbiology?
What is microbiology?
Microbiology is a branch of biology — the science that studies all forms of life. While biologists often focus on animals, plants or ecosystems, microbiologists look at something much smaller: life forms you can’t see with the naked eye; microbes.
What are microbes?
Microbes, or micro-organisms, are living organisms. Unlike larger organisms, they’re microscopically small, meaning they can only be seen with a microscope. The microbial world is incredibly diverse. There are many types of microbes, including bacteria, algae and fungi.
Micro-organisms under the microscope
To observe microbes, you need a microscope, essentially a powerful magnifying glass. Microbes are measured in micrometres: 1 micrometre is 0.001 millimetres. That’s about 1/100th the width of a human hair. So yes, they’re truly invisible to the naked eye. But zoom in, and an entirely new world appears: microbes come in all shapes, colours and sizes. The micro-world is a universe of its own.
Why is microbiology important?
We might not be able to see microbial life, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. In fact, microbes have a huge impact on our world. They play vital roles in food chains, oxygen production, digestion, and human health.
Harmful and helpful microbes
Some microbes make us ill. These are called pathogens or disease-causing microbes, less kindly known as germs. They can cause infections and pose risks to our health.
But most microbes are helpful. We all carry trillions of them in and on our bodies, together called our microbiome. These microbes help us digest food, keep our skin healthy, protect us from harmful intruders, and yes even give us our unique body odour.
Microbiology in everyday life
We encounter microbes every single day, whether we realise it or not. They live on our skin, in our gut, and on everything we touch. And they play a quiet but crucial role in everyday things.
Enjoying breakfast? Without microbes, fermented foods wouldn’t exist. Yeasts make bread rise, and lactic acid bacteria give yoghurt its tangy taste.
Smelling the forest after it rains? That earthy scent is produced by Streptomycetes, soil bacteria that release natural compounds. Even the biggest trees need microbes: their roots work together with fungi to absorb nutrients. In fact, scientists believe that land plants first formed partnerships with fungi before they even grew roots.
Discover microbiology at ARTIS-Micropia
And this? It’s only the beginning. It’s impossible to capture all of microbiology in one blog. Want to experience it for yourself and look through a microscope like a real microbiologist? Come to ARTIS-Micropia, the only museum in the world dedicated to microbes.