Learn how microbes adapt to thrive in all kinds of environments in this colorful nonfiction book!
Microbes are tiny organisms that live deep in the ocean, on glaciers, and even in your own body! How do they survive in all these different environments? They adapt! Microbe Adaptations: Glowing Lights, Hot Vents, and Large Numbers introduces readers 5 to 8 to different types of microbes that have developed characteristics that help them survive and thrive! From the bacteria that gather on angler fish and produce light to the thermophiles that thrive near super-hot, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, microbes have developed amazing adaptations that keep them alive even under some harsh conditions. How? Through natural selection! Natural selection happens when microbes with features that help them survive are those that live long enough to pass down these characteristics to their offspring. Over many generations, the traits that don't help with survival appear less and less often. And in the case of many microbes, adaptation can happen very quickly as they reproduce rapidly.
Scientific concepts including biological evolution, heredity, and ecology come clear with engaging illustrations and lots of familiar, familiar examples. An introductory poem offers language arts connections while a hands-on activity at the end reinforces concepts in the book. A glossary and photographs offer even more learning opportunities. Microbe Adaptations: Glowing Lights, Hot Vents, and Large Numbers is part of an eight-book set of Picture Book Science books designed to introduce young scientists to environmental science. Other titles include Insect Adaptations: Mouthparts, Mimicry, and Flying and Plant Adaptations: Shallow Roots, Thick Stalks, and Poison. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core state standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.