A microorganism (or microbe) is a microscopic organism, which may be a single cell or multicellular organism. The study of microorganisms is called microbiology and began in 1675, with Anton van Leeuwenhoek’s use of the microscope. Microorganisms are very diverse. They include the prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) and eukaryotes (protozoa, fungi, algae, microscopic plants, and certain animals). Microorganisms live in every part of the biosphere including soil, hot springs, the ocean floor, the atmosphere, and inside the earth’s crust. They are crucial to nutrient recycling in ecosystems because they act as decomposers.
The following is a list of only two of the countless microorganisms you can find on the Fieldston campus. Click on the species to learn more about it!
A Field Guide To Fieldston 