Tag Archives: extremophiles

Tardigrades and extraterrestrial life

I first saw a picture of a tardigrade when I was a child, and even then, I was fascinated. I prefer the more affectionate term “water bear”, and these cute little “micro-animals” are a classic example of just how resilient life can be. As we briefly discussed in class, tardigrades have survived exposure to outer […] Continue reading

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Extremophiles

Image from Cosmos Magazine Extremophiles are organisms capable of living under extreme conditions. This includes but is not limited to extreme temperature, radiation, pressure, and pH level. Given the extremely resilient nature of these organisms, they are some of the most abundant life forms. These creatures are fascinating as they have helped to stretch our […] Continue reading

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Strain 121: Surviving Beyond Boiling

Image of Strain 121 For my blog post I wanted to learn more about extremophiles. One extremophile I found particularly interesting was Strain 121. This single-celled organism is considered a hyperthermophile. Strain 121 can survive and reproduce at temperatures as high as 121 degrees Celsius (250 degrees Fahrenheit), which is where it gets its name. […] Continue reading

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The Ultimate Thrillseekers

Extremophiles, as their names insinuate, are capable of withstanding extreme conditions that would kill any other organism. The tardigrade, informally known as the “water bear”, is the most well known of these and can comfortably reside in ludicrous environments despite barely being any bigger than a millimeter. So how does this pertain to astronomy? Well, […] Continue reading

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Blog Post 7 – Extremophiles

News Medical Life Sciences In the most unsought after pockets of our planet, in places once believed to be impossible to sustain life, exist organisms that not only can survive in these places but thrive under these conditions as well. These impressive organisms are known as extremophiles. The existence of extremophiles challenges everything that we […] Continue reading

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Blog 7 – Extremophiles

Extremophiles are organisms, usually microbacteria, that can survive in extreme environments. These environments are characterized by conditions uninhabitable to humans. The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, is iconic for its bright, seemingly unnatural colors. However, these colors are a result of extremophiles, specifically, thermophiles! Thermophiles are classified as “heat-loving” organisms, and are one […] Continue reading

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Thermophiles on Venus

Thermophiles are a type of extremophiles that can survive above 45 degrees Celsius. These organisms are usually bacteria, and here on Earth they are found in hot springs. I wanted to talk about the possibility of life existing on Venus, not on the surface (it is far too hot there – 475 degrees Celsius). But, […] Continue reading

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Godzilla the Extremophile

(Diagram of the various conditions in which different types of extremophiles live) Extremophiles are organisms that live in, you guessed it, “extreme” environments, like volcanoes, the bottom of the ocean, acidic areas, etc. When we talked about extremophiles in class, we mostly looked at microbes and bacteria- the little guys. But I want to talk […] Continue reading

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How Extremophiles Work

As we talked about in class a few weeks ago, Extremophiles are living things that flourish under challenging conditions.They are amazing because they can endure situations that would be fatal to the majority of other life forms. They originate from Archaea, Eubacteria, and Eukarya, the three branches of the three-domain categorization scheme. Extremophiles have caused […] Continue reading

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Farewell, for now

I have always loved the stars, nebulae, planets, and all the space in between, but I never had a chance to seriously study them until this year. I am incredibly grateful that I was able to devote two classes (and a lab!) to learning more about the processes that govern solar system formation and how […] Continue reading

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