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Extreme Microorganisms: Thriving in Harsh Environments

Explore fascinating microorganisms thriving in extreme conditions - from scorching hot temperatures to freezing cold, acidic liquids to high pressure depths. Discover their unique adaptations to survive in salty, oxygen-deprived, and other challenging settings.

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Extreme Microorganisms: Thriving in Harsh Environments

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  1. •Microorganisms that not only survive in areas of high temperature, but that thrive there! •Temperature Range: 42oC to 113oC (well over the boiling point of water!!!!)

  2. •Microbes that prefer to live in cold temperatures that linger around the freezing point of water and sometimes lower! •Temperature Range: -3oC to 20oC

  3. •Microorganisms that thrive in extremely acidic conditions. These microbes actually prefer living in liquids like boiling sulfuric acid. •pH Range: less than pH 5 for optimum growth

  4. Acidophiles This is a picture of Cyanidium caldariam, an organism that can live in a pH as low as ZERO!!!

  5. Acidophiles This warm, acid spring is a common habitat for acidophiles.

  6. •These microorganisms like to live in areas of high alkalinity. •pH Range: greater than pH 9 for optimum growth

  7. •Microbes that prefer to live in environments of extreme pressures such as miles under the ocean. •Pressure Range: > 400 atm for optimum growth

  8. Barophiles This barophile was found in sediment deep on the ocean floor.

  9. •Microorganisms that grow in extremely dry environments with only intermittent moisture.

  10. Desert Varnish

  11. •Microorganisms that like to live in salty environments. Think about the rules governing osmosis and you will see why this could be a problem!! •Salt Concentration: >5% for optimum growth (sea water is about 3%)

  12. •These are microbes that don’t like to function with oxygen in the environment. •May use gases other than oxygen in order respire

  13. Methane ice (crystallized structures of methane & water) that can form under conditions of low temperature and high pressure.  This methane hydrate mound (right side of photo), in the Gulf of Mexico has thousands of polychaete worms living on its exposed surface. 

  14. Is this evidence of life?

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