Take it to the EXTREME!!!!!

As discussed in class, an extremophile is an organism that lives and thrives in extreme conditions. The conditions in which extremophiles live are generally so harsh that they would be detrimental to most life on Earth. We talked about three different types of extremophiles in class: 1) thermophile; 2) acidophile; and 3) halophile. Extremophiles are truly amazing and remain to be a wonder to many biologists and microbiologists today.

I don't know about you, but I can hardly operate simple motor skills in extreme cold weather. Although, I was born in Ohio, we moved when I was 18 months old, so I am southern to the core. I was raised in Savannah, Georgia and the warm weather is what I am most acclimated to and therefore, is the weather I prefer above all. With that being said, I can't imagine living under extreme cold conditions. And I guess that's why God made me a human, and not a psychrophile. A psychrophile (it should be called "PSYCHOphile") is an extremophilic organism that not only lives in extreme conditions, but also is capable of reproduction and growth in extreme conditions. And by extreme conditions, I mean temperatures as cold as 5°F. Yikes! Here is an example of an environment in which you might find psychrophiles: