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Most of the microbes on Earth do more good than bad.
They do basic jobs that help us stay alive. For example, microbes make soil and create oxygen.
Microbes work for humans in other ways. Some, for example, can cook. While they munch on lunch, they create things we can eat. The process is known as fermentation. Thanks to the digestive powers of microbes, we have fermented foods. Around the world, microbes make more than 3,500 such foods. They include beer, wine, soda, soy sauce, and dried sausages.
Microbes do more than make food. They can also clean up, create drugs, help plants grow, and more. They can even help make stone-washed jeans. They naturally make the enzymes used to bleach the jeans.
