Extremophiles
Extremophiles
Extremophiles (/ɛkˈstriːməˌfaɪlz/; from Latin extremus meaning "extreme" and Greek philē meaning "love") are organisms that thrive in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth.
Etymology
The term "extremophile" comes from the Latin extremus, meaning "outermost, utmost, farthest, extreme" and the Greek philē, meaning "love". The term was first used in the 1970s to describe organisms capable of surviving in extreme environments.
Types of Extremophiles
There are several types of extremophiles, each adapted to different extreme environments:
- Thermophiles thrive at unusually high temperatures.
- Psychrophiles prefer extremely cold environments.
- Halophiles thrive in high salt concentrations.
- Alkaliphiles live in an alkaline pH environment.
- Acidophiles prefer acidic environments.
- Piezophiles (also known as barophiles) live under extreme pressure.
Related Terms
- Microorganism - Microscopic organism, which may be a single cell or multicellular organism.
- Archaea - A domain and kingdom of single-celled microorganisms.
- Bacteria - A type of biological cell.
- Eukaryote - An organism whose cells have a nucleus enclosed within a nuclear envelope.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Extremophiles
- Wikipedia's article - Extremophiles
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