Antony van Leeuwenhoek and the Microscope

But don’t worry. Almost 95 percent of all microbes won’t hurt you. (Some of the other 5 percent can make you sick, so remember to wash your hands often.) Without these invisible creatures, life as we know it would not exist. Animals, including humans, could not digest their food. Plants would not grow. Garbage would not decay. The planet would be a mess! It’s a good thing microbes aren’t going anywhere soon. These tough creatures have been here for more than 3.5 billion years. They are the smallest and most diverse life-form we know. In terms of numbers, microbes rule!