Micro — Introduction to the Microbial World + 6 more topics

You're about to dive into the fascinating world of microorganisms, or microbes for short. These are living things that are so tiny you need a microscope to see them. They're found everywhere: in the air, water, soil, and even inside and on your body.

The human microbiome refers to all the microorganisms—bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, and protists—that live on and inside your body. The collection of their genes is called the metagenome. While microbes live everywhere on you (skin, mouth, reproductive tract), the gut microbiome is the most diverse and extensively studied.

The core of microbial taxonomy follows a hierarchical system, much like for plants and animals. This system groups organisms based on shared characteristics, often reflecting their evolutionary history (phylogeny).

Let's break down the main components:

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Microorganisms are incredibly diverse, so we need a system to organize them. This system, called taxonomy, has two main parts: nomenclature (naming) and classification (grouping).

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