Microbiology is the study of microorganisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses. Key developments in the field include the invention of the microscope in the 16th century, which allowed the first observations of bacteria and other microbes. In the 19th century, scientists like Pasteur and Koch provided evidence supporting the germ theory of disease, showing that specific microbes cause specific illnesses. Koch's postulates established a process for proving the causal relationship between a microbe and a disease. Today, microbiology continues to advance through new techniques in genetics, biotechnology, and other areas.