extremophile

British  

/ ɪkˈstrɛməˌfaɪl /

noun

1. a microbe that lives in an environment once thought to be uninhabitable, for example in boiling or frozen water

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extremophile Scientific  

/ ĭk-strē′mə-fīl′ /

1. An organism adapted to living in conditions of extreme temperature, pressure, or chemical concentration, as in highly acidic or salty environments. Many extremophiles are unicellular organisms known as archaea.

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Example Sentences

Organisms that can survive in this suspended, or anabiotic, state, Yarzábal explained, include not just extremophile bacteria but also viruses, fungi, protozoa and microscopic animals called nematodes.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2025

These extremophile microbes are of interest to astrobiologists who are searching for life on other planets.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2024

Brock published his extremophile findings in April 1969, mere months before humans first walked on the moon.

From Scientific American • Jul. 21, 2021

A breeding ground for extremophile bacteria, like the darkest crevices of the Mariana Trench.

From Washington Post • Jul. 25, 2020

And it all relies on extremophile microorganisms that can thrive in environments rich in solutions of salts that are lethal to most forms of life.

From Nature • Mar. 13, 2013