Most of the invisible creatures on Earth do more good than harm.
These tiny allies do basic tasks that help us stay alive. For example, microbes make soil and create oxygen.
Microbes work for humans in other ways. For example, some of them can cook! While they munch on lunch, they create foods for us to eat. In a process known as fermentation, the digestive powers of microbes make foods we would not have without their help. Around the world, more than 3,500 fermented foods are made by microbes. They include beer, wine, soda, soy sauce, dried sausages, and many others.
Along with serving as chefs, microbes can be janitors, pharmacists, gardeners, and more. They can even be used to make stone-washed jeans. Microbes naturally make the enzymes that bleach the jeans.