An extremophile is an organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth.
Types of extremophiles:
* Acidophile: An organism that grows best at acidic (low) pH values.
* Alkaliphile: An organism that grows best at high pH values.
* Anaerobe: An organism that can grow in the absence of oxygen.
* Facultative Anaerobe: An organism that grows in the presence or in the absence of oxygen.
* Obligate Anaerobe: An organism that cannot grow in the presence of oxygen; the presence of oxygen either inhibits growth or kills the organism.
* Endolith: An organism that lives inside rock or in the pores between mineral grains.
* Halophile: An organism requiring high concentrations of salt for growth.
* Methanogen: An organism that produces methane from the reaction of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, member of the Archaea.
* Oligotroph: An organism with optimal growth in nutrient limited conditions.
* Piezophile (Barophile): An organism that lives optimally at high hydrostatic pressure.
* Psychrophile: An organism with optimal growth at temperature 15 °C or lower.
* Thermophile: An organism with optimal growth at temperature 40 °C or higher.
* Hyperthermophile: An organism with optimal growth at temperature 80 °C or higher.
* Toxitolerant: An organism able to withstand high levels of damaging elements (e.g., pools of benzene, nuclear waste).
* Xerophile: An organism capable of growth at very low water activity.
* The polar bear is well adapted for survival in the arctic. It has white fur that makes it difficult to see in the snow, which hides it from its prey. A polar bear has thick layers of fat and fur that keep it warm and small surface area to volume ratio to minimize heat loss. Its fur is very greasy because this sheds water quickly after swimming.
* The snowshoe hare's fur is white in winter and reddish brown in summer. So it has all...