Discover the many worlds of hidden microbes in an environment that's interesting and fun! Even if they're too small to see with the naked eye, microbes represent all of the great kingdoms of life. In fact, they're all around you right now. By zooming in to http://commtechlab.
msu.edu/dlc-me/zoo the Microbe Zoo, you'll be able to meet microbes who dwell on the beach, in the jungle and even on your dinner plate! Could one of these tiny organisms become a space alien? You'll find out on the Space Adventure, which lets you meet microbes of the star-hopping sort. At Water World, you will dive into puddles, streams, lakes and oceans to meet these critters face to face. And at the Animal Pavilion, you'll find out why microbes have befriended termites, cows and even humans. So get ready to blast-off to that microscopic world around us.

Get out your microscope and have a look at CELLS Alive! at www.cellsalive.com This site features everything cellular. Explore the world of cell structure and function, including sections on plant and animal cells, mitosis and the cell cycle, and the way-cool cell cams. In the Microbes section, you can see images of actual virus, bacteria and parasite cells. The important section on the immune system has facts about HIV, allergies and mites. Learn how our cells both feed and fight micro-organisms such as the itsy-bitsy mite. Finally, feast on pictures in the Cell Gallery or send a MicroGram to your friends, an electronic greeting complete with a cool picture of a cell. Even though cells are small, CELLS Alive is huge!

From school playgrounds to frozen snowfields to your own bedroom, microbes are everywhere. Discover this microscopic world at the Microbe Zoo. Head to http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo and prepare to think small. At Animal Pavilion, you'll find out how the microbes that live inside a termite's guts are able to digest wood. Get wet and wild at Water World, where you can visit ponds, swamps and bogs that are rich in bizarre and colorful microbes. Just keep your eyes open for those nasty "pipe slimers" and the "red tide." And definitely embark on the Space Adventure, where you'll explore Mars with other scientists to find out if life ever existed on the Red Planet. If you're getting hungry from all of this action, then stop by the Snack Bar--the place to find tasty foods that are produced by microbes, including bread, chocolate and yogurt. Plus, the site is home to the House of Horrors, where such monsters as vampire bacteria and The Invader microbe hang out. At the Microbe Zoo, life is both beautiful and tiny.

Get to know the oldest form of life found on Earth in MicrobeWorld at www.microbeworld.org . Meet some new micro-sized buddies such as fungi, a microbe that decomposes waste, and microbial mergers, which help fertilize plants and construct coral reefs. The tools that microbiologists use will help you inspect these tiny life forms. If you like what you see, join the microbe hunters on their journeys of discovery. Then wash your hands and go test your knowledge of microbes in everyday products.

Watch your step in the Microbe Zoo at http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo . Microbes are tiny living organisms that have several cool functions that you will discover while wandering through this site. Microbes may be guilty of killing plants, but they also help build healthy soil. Browse through Ag Acres to see how. If you get hungry, stop by the Snack Bar and take your pick from bread, yogurt or cheese, all fermented and preserved by microbes. More microbes thrive in Water World. No matter where you go, it seems the microbes follow you. Deep down in the dirt or up to six miles in the air, microbes are an inescapable part of our lives.