We live in a world that is absolutely full of microbes—tiny living things that are so small you usually need a microscope to see them. Microbes include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. Even though we can’t see them, they are everywhere: in the soil, in the air, on your skin, and even inside your body.
Helpful Microbes
Not all microbes are bad! In fact, many are essential for life.
- In your digestive system: Certain bacteria in your intestines help break down food and produce vitamins your body needs.
- In the environment: Microbes decompose (break down) dead plants and animals, recycling nutrients back into the soil. Without them, ecosystems would collapse.
- In food production: Microbes are used to make yogurt, cheese, bread, and even chocolate.
Harmful Microbes
Of course, some microbes can cause problems.
- Disease: Harmful bacteria and viruses can make people sick. Examples include strep throat (bacteria) and the flu (virus).
- Spoilage: Some microbes cause food to rot or mold, making it unsafe to eat.
The Balance
So, are microbes mostly helpful or harmful? That’s up for debate. Without helpful microbes, humans and ecosystems couldn’t survive. But harmful microbes can cause serious diseases, which is why we wash our hands, cook food properly, and get vaccines.
👉 Now it’s your turn: In the comments, explain whether you think most microbes are helpful or harmful. Make sure to give at least one example to support your opinion.
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58 Responses
It depends which one is safer because if we don’t use helpful microbes the `humans and ecosystem could’t survive’ but harmful microbe can cause serious but serious diseases, that why we wash our hand and do properly cook food and we get vaccines.
I prefer harmful because if we don’t use that we could die too but it is a little safer because we wash our hands, get vaccines, and if we cook properly we could survive but if we don’t do that we could die that way it is a little safer.
I agree with your point about that we have to wash our hands and get vaccines because when we wash our hands we kill almost all the microbones that can make us get sick and vaccines help us fight microbones that are bad for our bodys and I also think taking vaccines are very important for humans is important since flu was start getting common you made a good point about vaccines I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I think microbes are helpful to us because without them, we can’t survive. For example, microbes benefit us in many ways people don’t know. Such as helping our intestines break down food and give us the vitamins we need to live a healthy life. They even decompose dead plants and animals, causing our ecosystems to stay well. We also need microbes for food sources such as cheese, bread, yogurt, and chocolate. That is why I believe microbes are mostly helpful to us than harmful.
I agree with your point about microbes being more helpful than harmful because microbes contribute to breaking down food in your intestines. I also think that microbes providing vitamins is important, since it helps us stay healthy. You made a good point about microbes decomposing dead plants and animals, keeping our ecosystems alive; I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I agree with your point about helpful microbes because they keep healthy. I also think helpful microbes are important, since its good for you. You also made a good point about it keeping us healthy, I hadn’t thought of it that way
The only microbes that are helpful are the ones that help you digest your food.The harmful ones come from diffrent types of bacteria like salmanila and bird flu or food poisoning.The microbes that balance it out are keeping a clean hygiene or getting your yearly vaccines.Most of the time its from chefs or other people not cooking properly.
I agree with your point about helpful microbes because The harmful comes from bacteria like `salmanila and bird flu or food poisoning’ I also think the microbes are balance it out, it important, since most of the time comes from chefs or other people not cooking properly. you made a good point about bacteria like 1salmanila and bird flu or food poisoning, I hand’t thought of it that way.
I liked how you pointed out the helpful and harmful Microbes, I hadn’t thought of it like that.
Microbes are mostly helpful because it gives more reasons why it is better and it gives less reasons why it is harmful.
Not all microbes are bad some are good and useful depending on the search. In this case all microbes are helpful and useful just not all microbes can do the same. Some microbes can take bigger stuff, while others can take smaller stuff. Some can look really good and some can’t. in this case I would say all microbes are helpful and useful.
I agree with your point about helpful microbes, because they can help us all in different, I didn’t see it in your point of view but I believe its important you brung up evidence from the text.
I agree with your point about microbes can be helpful and useful because they are the ones that provide us with yogurt. I also think microbes are important since it can help some kind of sicknesses. You made a good point about microbes being useful; I hadn’t thought of it that way
You made a good point about microbes; I haven’t thought of it that way.
Microbes are mostly helpful because,in the environment microbes decompose dead animals and plants recycling nutrients back into the soil. Without them ecosystems would collapse. In food production microbes are used to make yogurt, cheese, bread and even chocolate.
In my opinion, microbes are mostly helpful; Because of the fact that we have bacteria in our intestines that help us break down our food in our stomachs, so that when we have eaten a big meal ( or something rather chunky and dull ) it doesn’t make the food just sit there in our stomachs, it breaks the food down safely and carefully and we don’t even feel it! In our enviroment, bacteria helps us break down dead plants, animals, then they also make sure to give nutrients back into the soil. Without bacteria ( that helps ) The economy would fall. Microbomes are also known to making basic foods like yogurt, cheese, bread and mostly chocolate as well, that is also rather interesting because you would think that bacteria couldn’t make any foods. Although, there would be a downfall to bacteria, they can cause diseases, which is very harmful to the human body, which diminishes your immune system and makes you sick; Strep throat, for example, is a virus that makes you sick. Spoilage is also another virus ( or bacteria ) that is dangerous because it can make your food unsafe to eat, it can cause rot and mold making it hard to keep the food in the house because mold could actually make you sick if you keep the moldy food for too long. Microbomes are rather helpful than dangerous.
You make a good point about microbes; I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I agree with your point about good microbes
I believe microbes are mostly helpful because they contribute a lot to ecosystems and life. If microbes didn’t exist, ecosystems would begin to die. Some microbes, viruses, and diseases are sometimes avoidable by making sure your body is clean. Microbes help break down food in your intestines. If they were gone, your body would have a harder time breaking them down. Spoilage can also be avoided by cooking food properly, washing hands, and making sure the food is in a cool place. Microbes are beneficial for food production by also breaking substances down, making the process faster.
I agree with your point about microbes being mostly helpful because they help us stay healthy and well. I also think microbes in our life are important since our ecosystems would die without them. You made a good point about microbes being beneficial to food by breaking down the substances; I never thought of it that way.
In my opinion I think that microbes are mostly harmful in different types of ways, because if you don’t wash your hands it can cause sickness. Microbes can also get you sick by not checking if your food has gone bad.
I think that most microbes are helpful because they are in your digestive system they break down food and give you the vitamins your body needs. Microbes are also in our food microbes make mean foods like yogurt, cheese, bread, and even chocolate. Also they are in the environment where it breaks down dead plants and animals and recycles nutrients back into the soil. Without them, ecosystems would collapse.
I agree with your point about microbes being important to your digestive system because microbes break down food.
You made a good point about how microbes are helpful because without them ecosystems would collapse; I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I agree with your point about microbes being helpful because they help with your body and many things. I Aslo think the ecosystem is inportan, since if we did not we wouldn’t have tress and plants. you made a good point about microbes being helpful; I hadnt thought of it that way.
I agree with your point about the digestive system because yes microbes break down your foods but would collapse if it was polluted.
I agree with your point about microbes being helpful because they Help with breaking down stuff in your body. I also think that are also in our in food is important since you put it like that and. You made a good point about how they are in the environment; I hadn’t thought of it that way.
In my opinion I think microbes are mostly helpful to not just human life, but all life on earth. most life on earth cant be sustained without microbes, even if a good portion are harmful, we still need them in our lives. Helpful microbes allow our digestive system to break food down into vitamins humans need. Helpful microbes also create foods like cheese , yogurt, and other milk based foods. While harmful microbes do cause diseases, the good, most of the helpful microbes do, balances out the negatives. To prevent these diseases harmful microbes cause, its very important to clean and disinfect hands or any thing going near entrances into our bodies.
I agree with your point about not just human life because most life on earth needs it.
You made a good point about microbes helping humans to get their vitamins and creating foods like Cheese, yogurt and more I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I agree with your point about what you say because I hadn’t thought of it I that way and its a good way and because I like yogurt and milk and it can clean and disinfect.
Microbes are harmful because it can kill you and it can make your food go bad. It can make someone go to the hospital and get surgery. It can cause some serious diseases that can make you have a hard time living because you will have to go to the hospital a lot.
I think microbes are mostly helpful to humans.
I think microbones are helpful because whithout them we will not have foods Like bread chesse yougurt and much more foods that I probably din´t know. Also they produce vitamins that the human body needs also whithout microbones ecosystems will collapse. So thatś why I think microbones are helpful but not all of them some of them can cause flu make u sick and some microbones can make food unsafe to eat because they can make people sick. If people eat the food where the microbones are at they can get sick and that is a big problem but that problems can get solve by medicine. So are microbones helpful or harmful I think they are helpful not gonna lie of course not all microbones are good but they help a lot so yes I think they are helpful and if u get sick you just have to take medice for a little time and then you will be ok.
Microbes are harmful because you can vary sick and In your digestive system: Certain bacteria in your intestines help break down food and produce vitamins your body needs I mean look at the micbes they look wered and they look like they can get
In the environment: Microbes decompose (break down) dead plants and animals, recycling nutrients back into the soil. Without them, ecosystems would collapse.
In food production: Microbes are used to make yogurt, cheese, bread, and even chocolate but they do eat good microbes incredibly tiny living things, mostly single-celled, that are invisible to the naked eye.
Certian bacteria or microbes help the human body and other living things. Microbes help with humans by breaking down there food when they eat that helps by giving the person nutrients and vitamins that they need. Micreobes don’t js help with humans they aslo help ecosystems. Microbes break down dead plants and animals which feeds other plants by giving them nutriants and vitamins for other ecosystems.
I think microbes are mostly helpful because they are used to make cheese, yogurt, and bread.
I think most microbes are helpful because it helps us break down food to eat better. Some microbes even help the earth with putting soil in to your plants such as strawberries, mango and more.But microbes can also be bad for the nature and even yourself it makes you sick having soar throats and having mold on foods which is bad and can make you go to the hospital. another reason for that is it helps humans and ecosystems for we can live better for we can be healthy.
I agree with your point about most microbes being helpful because, microbes help soil you garden in.
I think microbes are mostly helpful but it really depends on how many helpful microbes there are and how many harmful microbes there are. also most microbes are helpful but a small fraction of microbes are harmful.
I think most microbes are good cause we need them so the earth can grow and us we need the vitamins and the earth needs microbes for its ecosystem. And we need some microbes to make some foods and if you get sick from the bad microbes there are some medicines that can help get you better.
In my opinion the microbes mostly helpful because it decomposes the plants and the animal. It also nutrient the soil, it also in our body to keep us alive, and keeps the ecosystems alive. there are some microbes that are bad that kill animals and plants it ok because it will decomposes so that’s why I think its helpful
Well, this really depends. Microbes can be helpful because they are the reason why we’re alive and healthy right now. While there may be harmful microbes that harm us, that is the reason why humans are taught to take safety precautions (e.g. washing your hands or showering, throwing away moldy products.) Not to mention that as science research grows, we develop vaccines to protect ourselves from such viruses.
However, less commonly known facts for mold Microbes can harm humans, because some people have not been taught that mold isn’t just a spot on food, it can also be invisible and well spread out through the cells of the product. Vaccinations also take lots of time to develop, which can cause harmful effects on the body.
It really depends on how you see microbes. For example, if you think that microbes do more harm than good, does that mean that the gut microbe in your digestive system is harmful? Gut microbes can aid your immune system by keeping more harmful microbes in check. Another example are the microbes in the soil. They assist in the decomposition of organic matter and can even keep diseases away from plants.
Although many microbes can make you have a bad day, very few of them are actually lethat. This is why I am for microbes.
Not every Microbes not good some are good but some at bad like it can make u sick. Even some microbes are in food at good.
I think microbes are helpful because it helps us munch on our food. Microbes can also help the earth by putting soil in plants, but there is also a downside about microbes. Microbes can make mold appear on food. If you don’t notice and take a bite of food with mold without realizing, you can end up in the hospital and mold can cause infections and cause health problems. But, helpful microbes can give your body vitamins, and can decompose animals and plants. Which leads to recycling nutrients back to soil
I agree with the point because most microbes are helpful ,microbes help soil your gardens .!
I think that microbe are good but it could be bad if there is more bad microbes then good ones but with no microbes there will no illness but there be no healthy people so that is why I think microbes are good
I think microbes are helpful because the help create food and help us produce vitamins in our body’s. Microbes help decompose dead animals and plants so microbes are mostly helpful the harmful and humans can’t survive without microbes.
In my opinion, I think microbes are helpful because microbes break down dead plants and animals, recycling them back into the soil. Without them, ecosystems would fall apart, and certain bacteria in your intestines help break down food and produce vitamins your body needs. They may cause diseases, but if we take care of our body the right way, it means regularly washing our hands, getting vaccines, and eating healthy foods.
In my opinion I think that microbes most of the time harmful because they can get you very sick if you don’t check your food to see if it has gone bad, also if you touch things and then touch your eyes, mouth it can cause very bad sickness, virus, flu.
I agree with your point about most microbes being useful, I say this because microbes can help break down stuff such as food. Microbes are also helpful when coming to food, like making dairy. Also when coming to microbes they can be helpful with creating rich soil with a lot of minerals. While there might be some harmful microbes, it seems that they do more right then wrong.
You made a good point about microbes helping humans to get their vitamins and creating foods like Cheese, yogurt and more I hadn’t thought of it that way.
In my opinion, microbes are more helpful than harmful because they help our body’s digest foods and immune system and it helps the ecosystem by decomposing dead animals and plants which bring back nutrients to the soil. Microbes also help make food we all eat every day like cheese, chocolate, bread and yogurt.
I agree with microbes that are helpful in our life because microbes give’s us the vitamins our body needs
I think that microbes are helpful because in life its full of tiny microbes and in one of the paragraphs it says its “essential” in life but some aren’t and are harmful. Yet I still think they are helpful and needed since its used to make certain foods for example bread. But also gives our body vitamins we need..
In my opinion microbes are helpful most of the time as it is used to make some foods but it can also cause bacteria.
I think that microbes are mostly helpful because they provide lots of needs in our world. For example, we can’t survive without microbes, because without microbes our ecosystems will slowly die. Microbes help with digesting food, protect infection and even maintain your reproductive health. Without microbes these things wouldn’t be able to do these curtain things. Our bodies have trillions of microbes inside and these microbes help our body. Instead of trying to get rid of all microbes we can instead discard harmful ones.
Microbes are mostly more helpful than harmful and here is why. Microbes are tiny living in this world that are everywhere. They are helpful in the environment by “decomposing dead animals and plants,” your digestive system to “help break down food”, and food productions that are used to make yogurt, chocolate, cheese, and bread. Although it can be harmful by creating harmful bacteria and viruses and spoilage, we can prevent it from happening by washing our hands and taking vaccine shots. So all in all Microbes are mostly more helpful than harmful.