extremophile

/ (ɪkˈstrɛməˌfaɪl) /


noun
  1. a microbe that lives in an environment once thought to be uninhabitable, for example in boiling or frozen water

Words Nearby extremophile

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for extremophile

extremophile

[ ĭk-strēmə-fīl′ ]


  1. An organism adapted to living in conditions of extreme temperature, pressure, or chemical concentration, as in highly acidic or salty environments. Many extremophiles are unicellular organisms known as archaea.

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