Protists are eukaryotic creatures, meaning their DNA is enclosed in a nucleus inside the cell (unlike bacteria, which are prokaryotic and have no nucleus to enclose their DNA. They’re not plants, animals or fungi, but they act enough like them that scientists believe protists paved the way for the evolution of early plants, animals, and fungi. Protists fall into four general subgroups: unicellular algae, protozoa, slime molds, and water molds.

Halophiles live in salty environments like these salt ponds near San Francisco.

Number 2 are snowflakes under the microscope not living organisms. The others are all microbes: 1. Clostridium difficile bacteria, 3. Fungi is considered a microbe, 4. Viruses are also microbes.