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A '''microorganism''', or '''microbe''',{{efn|The word ''microorganism'' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|m|aɪ|k|r|oʊ-|ˈ|ɔːr|g|ə|n|ɪ|z|əm}}) uses [[classical compound|combining forms]] of ''[[wikt:micro-#Prefix|micro-]]'' (from the {{lang-el|μικρός}}, ''mikros'', "small") and ''[[organism]]'' from the {{lang-el|ὀργανισμός}}, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes [[hyphen]]ated (''micro-organism''), especially in older texts. The informal synonym ''microbe'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|aɪ|k|r|oʊ|b}}) comes from μικρός, mikrós, "small" and βίος, bíos, "[[life]]".}} is an [[organism]] of [[microscopic scale|microscopic]] size, which may exist in its [[unicellular organism|single-celled]] form or as a [[Colony (biology)#Microbial colonies|colony of cells]].
Because microorganisms include most [[unicellular organism]]s from all [[three-domain system|three domains of life]] they can be extremely diverse. Two of the three domains, [[Archaea]] and [[Bacteria]], only contain microorganisms. The third domain [[Eukaryota]] includes all [[multicellular organism]]s as well as many unicellular [[protist]]s and [[protozoa]]ns that are microbes. Some protists are related to [[animals]] and some to [[green plants]]. There are also many multicellular organisms that are microscopic, namely [[micro-animal]]s, some [[fungus|fungi]], and some [[algae]], but these are generally not considered microorganisms.{{Further explanation needed|date=January 2022}}
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