| Fungi | Viruses | Bacteria |
| What are barophiles? | |||
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Barophiles are microorganisms that can survive under great pressures. They live deep under the surfaces of the earth or water. There are three kinds of these microorganisms: barotolerant, barophilic, and extreme barophiles. Barotolerant extremophiles can survive at up to 400 atmospheres below the water or earth, but grow best in 1 atmosphere. Barophilic extremophiles grow best at higher pressures up to 500-600 atmospheres. Extreme barophiles do best at 700 atmosphere or more, but some survive at 1 atmosphere. The deep sections of the oceans are divided into layers called atmospheres and are divided into zones called atmospheres. The shallowest ocean atmosphere is at 1,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, and the deepest ocean atmosphere is 7000 feet below the surface of the ocean. One atmosphere in the ocean is equal to 10 feet below the surface of the ocean. That means that barotolerant extremophiles can survive at 4,000 feet, barophilic extremophiles can survive at up to 6,000 feet, and extreme barophiles can survive up to 7,000 feet below the surface of the ocean. Because of the freezing temperatures that occur at the deepest parts of the earth, barophiles are also considered to be psychrophiles. If you put the two names together, you have a microorganism that can stand up to both extremes. |
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| How are barophiles identified? | |||
| As you go lower into the ocean or land, the pressure increases and makes changes in the barophiles ability for its enzymes to bind the organism together. However, extreme barophiles have been able to adapt by making special proteins/enzymes that do hold the cellular structure together by allowing the normal chemical reactions to take place. Proteins also surround barophillic organisms giving them even more protection from the pressure. Unsaturated fatty acids were also found inside extreme barophiles. These fatty acids give them protection from the pressure and cold.. | |||
| How do barophiles reproduce? | |||
| Barophiles reproduce at a slower rate than do other extremophiles. The high pressure and freezing temperatures are responsible for their slow growth rate. Barophiles reproduce either by sexual or asexual reproduction. | |||
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| What do barophiles do? | |||
| Not a lot is known about what exactly barophiles do. Scientists are exploring ways to use the special enzymes and fatty acids produced by extremophiles in the production of food and other industry related fields. | |||
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Photographic Citations: Text Citations: Astrobiology A-Z: Smarter Science: |
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