微生物

• Reading: びせいぶつ
• Romaji: biseibutsu
• Kanji breakdown: 微 (bi) — tiny, minute, slight; 生 (sei) — life, living; 物 (butsu) — thing, object
• Pronunciation: /bi.seː.bɯ.tsɯ/

Meaning

Microorganism; microbe; germ. A tiny organism invisible to the naked eye.

A noun for organisms too small to be seen without a microscope, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Used in biology, medicine, and food science. Not always negative — many microorganisms are beneficial (fermentation, digestion). Common collocations include 微生物学 (biseibutsugaku, microbiology), 微生物の繁殖 (biseibutsu no hanshoku, microbial growth), and 腸内微生物 (chounai biseibutsu, gut microbes).

Examples

1. 土の中には無数の微生物が生息している。 Countless microorganisms live in the soil.
2. 微生物の働きによって食品が発酵する。 Food ferments through the action of microorganisms.
3. 顕微鏡を使わないと微生物は見えない。 Microorganisms cannot be seen without a microscope.

Usage Guide

Context: biology, medicine, food science

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 微 (bi, tiny/minute) + 生物 (seibutsu, living thing). Literally 'tiny living thing' — an organism so small it requires magnification to observe.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal