Why do germs exist and where did they originate from?
In: 1
Germs exist, as most natural things, because they can. That is all that is required for things to exist, the simple ability for them to exist. So they do.
Germs are microorganisms that have existed since the early times of life. The term “germ” is pretty broad, simply referring to microorganisms and typically to those which cause disease. A microorganism is any microscopic organism but mostly refers to bacterium, viruses, or fungus. All three of those are quite different kinds of things, and viruses are even questionably alive.
Bacteria are broadly speaking unicellular organisms which have cell walls but not internal organelles or an organized nucleus. Bacteria were likely the earliest form of life and so they came from where *everything* alive came from. Abiogenesis, the process of the origin of life, isn’t really understood so we can’t be sure how it happened. But bacteria were here from the very beginning and evolved along with everything else to still be around in great quantity today.
Fungus are different in that they have an organized nucleus, and include chitin in their cell walls. The general niche of fungus is decomposition, thriving on the waste products of dead organisms.
Viruses are questionably “organisms” at all, often being simply a protein shell surrounding some RNA molecules. These bits of RNA act as biological instructions that can twist the mechanisms in cells into producing more viruses. They too have been around since the dawn of life, evolving along with living organisms, but many scientists can’t decide if they actually count as living organisms themselves. They don’t eat, they don’t reproduce on their own, they don’t have any senses or response to external stimulus. One way to think of them is the ultimate parasite, one which has outsourced every possible function to the victims it takes advantage of.
In any case all of these “germs” can cause disease by interfering with the biological functions of larger organisms.
Latest Answers