top of page

Module 4 Activity: Extreme Living

Halophile

Image of a Halophile

Habitat: High Salinity

Identification:

  • Scientific Name: Halobacterium 

  • Common Name: None

  • Type of Extremophile: Halophile

Habitat Information:

  • Location of Habitat:

    • ​Dead sea, Jordan

  • Special Characteristics: 

    • High salinity

    • Located at the lowest point on earth

    • Only bacteria can survive here

Special Physiology:

  • Explain the special physiological mechanism that allows it to survive this extreme environment.

    • Halophiles are able to expend energy to exclude salt from their cytoplasm to avoid protein aggregation. Osmotic movement of water out of their cytoplasm works by increasing the internal osmolarity of the cell, which helps it survive. Their efficient ion pumps help them to maintain a stable internal environment and their acidic proteins help them to resist osmotic stress and the denaturing effects of salts.

    • Halophiles have charged amino acids on their surfaces, which allow them to retain water molecules. Furthermore, they have UV absorbing pigments to protect from UV radiation.

  • What kind of activities and/or changes does this species contribute to its surrounding environment, if any?

    • Excluding salt from their cytoplasm increases the surrounding salinity in the external environment. This added salt helps them live and thrive in their environment. The water molecules attracted to their amino acid surface decreases the amount of water in the surrounding environment.

Application:

  • ​Halophiles can have many uses to humans including the biosynthesis of compatible solutes, cosmetics, β‐carotene and hydrolases in the nutritional and food industries, bioremediation of pollutants in saline wastewaters, and more.

Endolith

Image of a Endolith

Habitat: Rocky Environment

Identification:

  • Scientific Name: Chasmoendolith

  • Common Name: None

  • Type of Extremophile: Endolith

Habitat Information:

  • Location of Habitat:

    • Atacama Desert, Peru

  • Special Characteristics:

    • Dry

    • Rocky

    • High temperature

Special Physiology:

  • Explain the special physiological mechanism that allows it to survive this extreme environment.

    • Endoliths are able to survive by feeding on traces of iron, potassium, some carbon, or sulfur. Most endoliths,however, are autotrophs. Meaning  they can generate organic compounds essential for their survival on their own from inorganic matter. Even with this ability, some endoliths have specialized in feeding on their autotroph relatives. However, most energy comes from the chemical synthesis of minerals found in the environment.

  • What kind of activities and/or changes does this species contribute to its surrounding environment, if any?

    • Because it is a source of food, Endoliths often remove iron, potassium, sulfur, and carbon from the area they inhabit. On the other hand, they enhance their habitat by dissolution of surrounding minerals. Similarly, they can enhance the surrounding environment by removing various secondary coatings that cover minerals such as feldspar and quartz.

Application:

  • Endoliths are able to remediate environmental problems. Genetic engineering of existing enzymes produced by endoliths can be used for industrial and biotechnological applications.

Xerophile

Image of a Xerophile

Habitat: Arid

Identification:

  • Scientific Name: Trichosporonoides nigrescens

  • Common Name: Cacti

  • Type of Extremophile: Xerophile

Habitat Information:

  • Location of Habitat:

    • Oaxaca, Mexico

  • Special Characteristics:

    • Dry

    • Hot, high temperature

    • Little to no moisture/water

    • Lots of light

Special Physiology:

  • Explain the special physiological mechanism that allows it to survive this extreme environment.

    • Xerophiles have the special ability to grow and reproduce in places with low amounts of water. Their stems are used for storing moisture and photosynthesizing during the day. At night, they take in carbon dioxide to make sugar and oxygen. Xerophiles do not have leaves. Instead, they have spines, which are used to ward off predators.

  • What kind of activities and/or changes does this species contribute to its surrounding environment, if any?

    • Cacti is the best in reducing radiation and bacteria in the environment.

Application:

  • There are not many applications for xerophiles, however, they do help in the bioremediation process. They are also useful for understanding the evolution of extremophiles.

bottom of page