NEET-NCERT-Microbes are present everywhere – in soil, water, air, inside our bodies and thatof other animals and plants. They are present even at siteswhere no other life-form could possibly exist–sites suchas deep inside the geysers (thermal vents) where thetemperature may be as high as 100 C, deep in the soil,under the layers of snow several metres thick, and in highlyacidic environments. Microbes are diverse–protozoa,bacteria, fungi and microscopic animal and plant viruses,viroids and also prions that are proteinaceous infectious agents.