Discovering the Extremophiles – An Organism that can Bear it All

Posted by Abdullah Mahmood on January 12, 2011 with No comments

Discovering the Extremophiles – An Organism that can Bear it All


Larger than life bacteria that can seen with your naked eye were found off the coast of Namibia and these Extremophiles bacteria have the potential to adapt to extreme conditions. There are places on earth that can’t support human life but these species of bacteria that can be found there. You can even find the wildest of creatures that can be found in the earths crust. Though high concentrations of salt end up killing the bacteria but there are even some that can survive the salt conditions and are known as Halophiles. Etremophilies are even found under the arctic ice and scientists believe that there are species of bacteria that grow on stimulated Mars and through experimentation it has been proved that some bacteria have returned back alive from the moon.

The search for the Extremophiles continue on this Earth and beyond because what may be extreme for us Earthlings may end up being normal business else where. These are really organisms that thrive in hostile conditions and the discovery of Extremophiles and their extraordinary adaptability of primitive life forms. There are also some species of bacteria that can tolerate high concentration of acidity and alkalinity.

The fact that communities of bacteria are found to thrive in extreme environment raises the possibility of life on our planet and the universe is always there. There are certain limitations that we humans can’t survive without but this doesn’t mean that the other life forms are limited by these essentials of life.

It has been found that life forms have evolved to fill every possible niche even in those areas which need to support life. The proof of living Extremophiles has opened the eyes of the scientists that the incredible range of conditions in which living things can exist. So in a way wherever you can find essentials of life there is always a possibility of life forms.

A very strange species of microbes are found below sea level and they are able to resist the temperature for baling point for water whose pressure is enough to submerge a submarine.

As life is possible in every niche of the earth there is also a chance that other life forms different forms may exist in the universe. By studying the Extremophiles on this planet the scientists will be prepared to recognize strange living creatures in other planets too.

It is beyond us to understand the limit that life can push beyond its boundaries and the maybe the extreme conditions here are the normal ones out in space. This is a puzzle that needs to be solved and one thing is for sure that there will never be a perfect answer as life goes on and extreme conditions can intensify.

The author is also affiliated with IslamTribune an emerging US based Online News Magazine. His works include capturing distinct stories and perception of people the world over. Visit IslamTribune.com for more updates around the world and News in the Middle East.