Extremophile facts for kids
An extremophile is a living thing that loves to live in extreme places. These places are usually too harsh for most other living things. Most life on Earth lives in "normal" conditions. These normal-loving organisms are called mesophiles.
In the 1980s and 1990s, scientists learned that tiny living things called microbes can survive in very tough environments. These special spots can be super hot, freezing cold, very dry, or have lots of pressure. They might also be very salty or acidic. Bigger living things, like animals or plants, usually cannot live in these extreme conditions.
Some scientists think that life on Earth might have started in places like hydrothermal vents. These are cracks in the ocean floor that release hot water. Hot oceans, hot springs, and deep-sea vents were common about 3.9 billion years ago. Early forms of life likely lived in these kinds of extreme environments.
What are the Types of Extremophiles?
Most known extremophiles are tiny microbes. The group of living things called Archaea has many famous extremophiles. But some bacteria are also extremophiles. It's important to know that not all archaeans are extremophiles; some live in normal conditions. Also, not all extremophiles are single-celled. Some extreme places even have multicellular animals!
Some extremophiles can fit into several groups. For example, living things found deep inside hot rocks under Earth's surface are both thermophilic (heat-loving) and barophilic (pressure-loving).
Images for kids
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Diversity of extreme environments on Earth -
This image shows microbes from the very salty Lake Tyrrell. You can see Dunaliella salina, a type of green algae. This algae is grown to make a natural food color. Next to it is Haloquadratum walsbyi, a square-shaped microbe that floats to the surface to get oxygen.
See also
In Spanish: Extremófilo para niños
