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Extremophile archaea thrive in boiling acid and deep hydrothermal vents

Specialized cell membranes and stable enzymes allow archaea to inhabit hostile environments

Archaea represent a distinct domain of single-celled life capable of colonising environments previously deemed uninhabitable. Hyperthermophilic archaea live inside boiling volcanic springs and deep undersea hydrothermal vents at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. Unique ether-linked lipid membranes prevent their cell structures from disintegrating under intense heat and acidity.

Where this comes from

NOAA

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Tags: biology, archaea, extremophiles

Extremophile archaea thrive in boiling acid and deep hydrothermal vents: the short answers

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Specialized cell membranes and stable enzymes allow archaea to inhabit hostile environments. The figure is taken from NOAA, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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