Definition of germ

The word "germ" has its roots in ancient Greek and Latin. The term "germen" or "germe" was used in Latin to mean "seed" or "sprout". In Greek, the word "gennema" (γεnorma) meant "sowing" or "planting", and the plural form "gennemata" (γεNormata) referred to "seeds" or "plants". In the 17th and 18th centuries, the term "germen" was borrowed into European languages to refer to the seed or embryo of a plant. In the mid-19th century, the concept of microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, was emerging. Scientists like Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch began using the term "germ" to describe these tiny living beings, drawing a parallel with the idea of a seed or embryo. Over time, the term "germ" has become synonymous with microorganism, and is now widely used in the fields of medicine, biology, and public health to refer to microorganisms that can cause illness.