From the beginnings of scientific thinking in antiquity to the microscope and synthetic biology. Microorganisms play a crucial role in the cycle of materials in nature. They have created the conditions for the life of higher organisms and synthesize important active substances such as vitamins and antibiotics. Gerhart Drews narrates the history of ideas in microbiology. He brings the reader closer to the world of some thinkers, researchers, and also curious laypeople from past centuries. He describes the key discoveries that led to the recognition of microorganisms, their role in nature, and their involvement in the emergence of diseases. In modern times, he illustrates the development exemplarily through individual organisms or fields of study, incorporating the significant discoveries in molecular biology and genetics. In the 2nd edition.