Pyrolobus fumarii

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Pyrolobus fumarii
Thermophile bacteria2.jpg
Scientific classification
Domain:
Phylum:
Thermoproteota
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Pyrolobus
Binomial name
Pyrolobus fumarii
Blöch, Rachel, Burggraf, Hafenbradl, Jannasch & Stetter, 1997

Pyrolobus fumarii (literally the "firelobe of the chimney") is a species of archaea known for its ability to live at extremely high temperatures that kill most organisms.[1][2]

It was first discovered in 1997 in a black smoker hydrothermal vent at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, setting the upper temperature threshold for known life to exist at 113°C (235.4°F), but more recently Methanopyrus kandleri has been discovered which can survive temperatures up to 122°C. (251.6°F)  [3][4] The species "freezes" or solidifies and ceases growth at temperatures of 90°C (194°F) and below.[5]

Strain 121, a microbe from the same family found at a vent in the Pacific Ocean, survived and multiplied during a 10-hour interval spent at 121°C (249.8°F) in an autoclave.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ C.Michael Hogan. 2010. Extremophile. eds. E.Monosson and C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment, washington DC
  2. ^ Joseph E. Armstrong. 2014. How the Earth Turned Green: A Brief 3.8-Billion-Year History of Plants. University of Chicago Press.
  3. ^ a b Davison, Anna (26 June 2008). "The most extreme life-forms in the universe". NewScientist.com news service. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  4. ^ Blöchl E; Rachel R; Burggraf S; Hafenbradl D; et al. (February 1997). "Pyrolobus fumarii, gen. and sp. nov., represents a novel group of archaea, extending the upper temperature limit for life to 113 degrees C.". Extremophiles : Life Under Extreme Conditions. 1 (1): 14–21. doi:10.1007/s007920050010. PMID 9680332.
  5. ^ Joseph E. Armstrong. 2014. How the Earth Turned Green: A Brief 3.8-Billion-Year History of Plants. University of Chicago Press.

Further reading[]

External links[]

fr:Pyrolobus fumarii

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