How can thermoacidophiles maintain very low pH around them?

What are Thermoacidophiles a combination of?

It is a combination of thermophile and acidophile.

Here is a list from the link below which defines thermophiles: Thermophiles: Thermophilic organisms are generally microorganisms whose growth occurs at or near the boiling point of water (100-104 degrees C). They need hot temperatures to live and their optimal growth temperature ranges from 50 degrees C to 75 degrees C. Some, like the extremely thermophilic bacterium Aquifex pyrophilus, grow at a minimum of 83 degrees C.

The term thermal biology was coined by W. R. McBride in 1940 to describe the biochemistry of organisms living in hot environments.

Acidophiles on the other hand refers to organisms that prefer acidic environments.

What are the conditions for thermoacidophiles?

Acidobacteria form biofilms that are attached to solid surfaces such as stone and cement.

Photo credit: N. D. Mancinelli, Ohio State University.

Thermoacidophiles are bacteria that require a slightly acidic environment in which to grow. For these bacteria, neutral or alkaline conditions become lethal, even in the presence of optimal growth conditions (1-3). Therefore, to grow, thermoacidophiles must endure a lower-than-neutral pH, with the pH at which acidification is optimum for growth dependent on the organism being studied. Thus, pH ranges specific to thermoacidophiles have evolved over time (4, 5). Some thermoacidophiles are found only under conditions of extreme acidification (ie, below ppt), some are found only under non-acidic conditions, while others can be found anywhere. The pH that results in optimal growth varies across the range, often growing optimally at a pH that differs by only 0.2 units from the pH at which the organism would die if grown in water instead (5). Although most thermotolerant (ie, growing optimally at low pH values) and some obligate (ie, requiring an acidic environment) acidophiles have already been isolated, not all organisms that grow at the lower end of the pH range are thermotolerant, and not all pH ranges in which the bacteria naturally occur are optimal. For example, Acidiphilium cryptum grows under very acid conditionsthe pH can fall as low as -11but it would only tolerate the non-optimal pH range of around -2 to 2 (6).

The environmental factors that regulate the pH tolerance of thermoacidophile population in any given environment are not well understood, but evidence suggests that geochemical factors play a role (7, 8). In natural environments, pH is controlled by a number of key elements, including rock composition, oxidation-reduction states, temperature, redox potential, metal content, and ion competition among cations and anions (1, 7-10). PH tends to be more uniform at extreme habitats like hydrothermal vents than it is at intermediate habitats like terrestrial or aquatic hot springs (11). Thus, extreme environments offer important biotic resources, but their relative biodiversity appears less great than that of more moderate habitats (12-14).

What are halophilic, thermoacidophilic and methanogen archaebacteria?

Halophilic, thermoacidophilic and methanogen Archaea are archaebacteria that live in various extreme environments.

These extremophiles are characterized by their adaptations to living in or surviving in environments that are either severely saline or extremely hot, acidic, or anoxic. Where and how do they live?

Dangers to life abound in salt waters. Living organisms can survive by minimizing their exposure to environmental extremes, as in the case of microbes. There are several types of halophiles.

How do they stay alive? Halophiles have developed a range of mechanisms for surviving in extreme conditions. In the case of hypersaline brines, most species of halophiles have evolved mechanisms to regulate salt, water and energy metabolism. Halophiles have diverse metabolic strategies to maintain cellular ion balance.

Boron compounds are important components in the metabolic regulation of halophiles. A key regulator in maintaining cellular ion homeostasis is the borate ion. Boric acid functions as antifreeze, osmoregulator, antioxidant and in some organisms, as a nutrient. Because it is relatively nontoxic and readily available from seawater, it could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of various injuries or burns.

Methanogens. Methanogens are a group of organisms that produce methane gas by oxidizing or fermenting organic molecules into carbon dioxide gas (CO2), water vapor and methane. Methanogens generally use energy obtained from organic substances like sugars organic acids, but can also make energy from hydrogen or CO2 as an electron acceptor.

Thermoacidophiles. Thermoacidophiles are defined by the ability to grow in hot acidic environments. Most thermoacidophiles thrive in environments that are less than 100 degrees F. They prefer environments where high concentrations of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide are present.

Some Thermoacidophiles can also grow under anoxic conditions. They thrive in the deepest layers of mines and volcanoes, as well as the highest temperatures near hydrothermal vents.

Haloadaptive Bacteria. The bacterial species Halobacillus halophilus was isolated from a hypersaline sample from Shark Bay, Australia. The bacterium does not synthesize its own amino acids, making it a true protein-accumulating organism.

How can thermoacidophiles maintain very low pH around them?

There has been a recent scientific paper on the discovery of a new genus of archaeon, which uses hydrogen for energy.

There have been many other studies done on the extreme resistance of these microorganisms to extreme pH. The main problem is that the extreme acidity and alkalinity would result in a very thin, if any, liquid layer. How could these organisms maintain a thick liquid layer?

For an extremely acidic or alkaline environment, the presence of water helps by dissolving both acids and bases. If your interest is biological chemistry, you may be interested in the proton-transfer reaction that the author describes. This is called the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, which is described more fully here. Since this reaction is so pH-sensitive, as the pH rises, there is a point at which the reaction starts, and becomes a significant amount of the reaction products H3O+ This causes the pH to rise, which in turn lowers the amount of H2O, which would in turn cause the pH to rise even higher.

Do thermoacidophiles live in acidic hot environments?

is the subject of lively debate.

The best guess is that the microbe survives in the presence of high temperature and acidic hot water - a combination that kills most people - because of the unique properties of its proteins. Scientists think that, just as humans have hair that protects against extreme heat, bacteria also have structures known as thermoinducers that help the cells withstand the heat of boiling water. Thermoacidophiles were one of the first bacteria to be discovered (in 1913) because they can survive temperatures as low as 10C and as high as 99C in water that has a pH of 2-6. No other bacteria survive in acidic hot water, even close to these extremes, says Prof Keith Vinyard from Durham University, who led the research.

Scientists believe that the mechanism might be similar to the way that human hair helps protect against extreme heat. The long, fibrous hairs on human skin absorb the heat of the environment and then transfer it to surrounding tissues, allowing body temperature to stay constant. The structure of a thermoacidophile bacterium's protein was first determined in 1968 by scientists working in Brazil, but the exact function remained a mystery until now. Because acid-resistant hair absorbs energy through a similar process in human skin, that protein likely plays a similar role, says Vinyard. Previous studies suggested that this type of protein allows thermoacidophiles to resist the energy of boiling water by transferring the heat away from the cell.

Acidic hot water at a pH of 4 seems like an impossible environment to survive in - you couldn't even stay conscious under that water, says Robert Carlson, who studies extremophiles at Pennsylvania State University. But the fact that the cells are still alive suggests that their structure resists the heat and acidic conditions of boiling water, while also helping them retain energy in other ways.

The research, published today in the journal Nature, involved isolating cells from the archaeon Thermofilum pendens, growing them in the lab and then exposing them to boiling water. Cells survived temperatures as high as 105C - although, for unknown reasons, the population stopped growing at 104C.

Vinyard found that the bacteria had two different types of thermoinducers in their cells.

Who can explain what thermoacidophile, halophile and methanogen as used in microbiology?

They describe the basic principles (briefly) of some of the prokaryotic microbes - which are the building blocks of this living planet - but have little to say about the fungi (fungi are animals - not bacteria), plants and other higher animals.

In fact, I don't even recall seeing a photograph of a fern leaf or a mushroom. But, maybe they are found in photos. I see lots of plants in pictures, though.

Quote. Why? Do you mean why do we find certain microbes? Well, for one thing, no cell survives without water, so there are many microbes with a "water-based" lifestyle. Then there are organisms that can grow on other non-living matter. A good example is the slime mold, which lives by converting decaying organic matter into energy. It doesn't need water.

Yes, you are right, the slime molds are the ones most familiar to me as a subject. Thermoacidophiles and halophiles are also inorganic and are found in acidic and saline environments. Halophiles are even able to grow in liquid or solid salt solutions. Methanogens are anaerobic, and have a preference for anaerobic environments, such as swamps or the bottom of rivers.

Do they not like light? Thermoacidophiles grow best in temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. They are hardy, and they can withstand pressures as high as the surface of the sun. Thermoacidophiles need a supply of energy in the form of oxygen, but they can get all the energy they need from sunlight. So, they're not really a "lifestyle". They're hard to study because they're so hardy. Most halophiles grow best at 50 degrees Celsius. They are sensitive to temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius. Halophiles need a supply of energy in the form of hydrogen gas.

How do they stay alive in the absence of oxygen? You probably could not survive longer than two minutes in boiling water. In addition, they are very sensitive to light.

I'm guessing that a thermophile would not find the environment harsh enough to kill it quickly. The same could be said about people who live in hot cities, or even people who travel to hot countries.