microorganisms

microorganisms — noun

1. a tiny living thing — for example, a bacterium, a virus, or a yeast cell — that

1.名詞B1
釋義

a tiny living thing — for example, a bacterium, a virus, or a yeast cell — that is far too small to be seen with the eye alone and can only be observed through a microscope.

例句

Mei-Lin saw thousands of tiny microorganisms swimming in a drop of pond water under her school microscope.

concrete observation scene: see + under microscope

Yeast, a common microorganism, makes bread dough rise by releasing tiny bubbles of gas.

everyday example: yeast as a type of microorganism

同義詞
  • microbe

    shorter, slightly less formal; common in popular science writing and conversation

  • germ

    very informal, almost always implies disease-causing microorganisms only

  • bacterium

    a specific type of single-celled microorganism, not a general synonym; use only when referring to bacteria

文法句型

plural: microorganisms

singular: a microorganism

用法筆記

Frequently appears in scientific and medical contexts. The singular form 'microorganism' refers to one individual; the plural is far more common in everyday use because these life forms are usually discussed in groups or types.

常見錯誤

❌Bacteria are the only type of microorganism.
✅Bacteria are one type of microorganism; yeasts, viruses, and some fungi are also microorganisms.
💡Microorganisms include many kinds of tiny life, not just bacteria.