What are microorganisms?

Microorganisms are tiny living things that you can’t see with your eyes, but they’re all around you.

Imagine you have a super small robot team, they’re so small, they could fit on the tip of a pencil! These little robots come in many shapes and sizes, like bacteria, fungi, and even some kinds of algae. They're like the workers in your body and around your home, helping you grow, making food sour (like yogurt), or even causing you to feel sick sometimes.

They’re on your skin, inside your mouth, in the dirt, and even in your food. Some microorganisms are friends, like the ones that help you digest your lunch. Others can be troublemakers, like when they cause a cold or make your milk go bad.

You might not notice them, but these tiny helpers and troublemakers are part of what makes life on Earth work!