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Article: Extremophiles
- Article from:
- World of Microbiology and Immunology
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Extremophiles
Extremophiles is a term that refers to
bacteria
that are able to exist and thrive in environments that are extremely harsh, in terms of those environments classically envisioned as hospitable to the growth of bacteria.
The discovery of extremophiles, beginning in the 1970s, has had three major influences on microbiology and the
biotechnology
industry. Firstly, the discovery of bacteria growing in environments such as the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park and around the
hydrothermal vents
located on the ocean floor (where the bacteria are in fact the fundamental basis of the specialized ecosystem that is fueled by the vents) has greatly increased the awareness ...