Friday, March 4, 2011

Extremophiles

An Extremophile is an organism that thrives in and may even require physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth.  Most known extremophiles are microbes.  There are many different classes of extremophiles that range all around the globe, each corresponding to the way its environmental niche differs.  Many extremophiles fall under multiple categories.  
Thermophiles- thrive under extremely high temperatures
Acidophiles-thrive under extreme acidic conditions
Halophiles-thrive in environments with very high concentrations of salt

Psycrophiles

Psycrophiles are the type of extremophiles that just love low temperatures. 
 They do not like temperatures above 12°C for reproduction.
This is one environment that Psycrophiles dwell.  


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