What is the classification of thermoplasma Volcanium?

Is thermoplasma volcanium a heterotroph?

First off, the Thermoplasma volcanium is not an obligate heterotroph as previously thought.

You can see a summary of its metabolic capabilities and the role of lipids in energy metabolism here. It can use acetate, formate, carbon monoxide, ethanol, pyruvate, hydrogen, lactate, succinate, glycerol, glycolate, glycine, and other organic acids, and other chemicals for growth. It doesn't appear to require iron. It can use lipids for energy (biosynthesis of fatty acids).

In my experience, the literature often refers to thermophilic organisms as obligate heterotrophs. The reason for this is that thermophiles are more commonly found in environments that are poor in nutrients. If you look at the phylogeny of thermophilic Archaea, most are members of the order Thermococcales, which includes Sulfolobales, Pyrococcus, Thermococcus, and Halobacteria. The phylogeny of thermophilic Archaea also places them in the superphylum Euryarchaeota. Euryarchaeota are known to be heterotrophs, and all but one of thermophilic Archaea are members of the Euryarchaeota.

My own opinion is that this taxonomy is a bit confusing, and I would classify the Archaea as facultative heterotrophs. This means they can switch from heterotrophic to autotrophic mode depending on environmental conditions. Thermophiles are best characterized by their high growth temperatures. This high growth temperature gives them a competitive advantage over the rest of the Archaea. In my opinion, they aren't obligate heterotrophs, because they can survive in a variety of environments that they would otherwise die in.

What type of cell is Thermoplasma?

It was a simple enough question that should have been easy to answer, and yet somehow the three members of Team Rocket began talking over each other in what sounded like French.

They were now arguing that they did not yet know the exact nature of what exactly was in the box.

As Team Rocket continued to discuss the contents of the box, Ash and Dawn just sat there staring at them dumbfounded. They had not expected such a show of ignorance. And while Ash and Dawn both had experience with Pokmon research, they had never before ever worked with Team Rocket. They also did not understand Team Rocket's need to experiment on Pokmon. All three of them had seen Team Rocket perform the worst type of experiments with Pokmon which had resulted in Pokmon being mutated or destroyed. Team Rocket would experiment on Pokmon when all hope for survival seemed lost; the group was infamous for doing anything they could to prolong the lives of their precious Pokmon and increase their numbers.

While the group continued their heated conversation, the two girls waited patiently for the other members of Team Rocket to finish their discussion so they could resume their research. However, as the minutes ticked by without their conversation ending, it was evident that Team Rocket was doing more discussing than actually conducting experiments with the contents of the box. Team Rocket was arguing over who should be the next in line to be given the key to open the box. While one argued that they were entitled to the next access because they were going to be the one to use the Pokdex, the other stated that their job was to take the Pokdex from the Gym Leader and that they were thus the ones who should get to open the box. Even if there were two keys to the box, there was no doubt which team member was going to get to wield them! The problem was, if Team Rocket's argument that they should be the ones to have access to the key had been correct, then they should have been able to open the box without any trouble.

As Team Rocket began arguing more vigorously, the two Gym Leader's decided it was time for Team Rocket to leave, and they all had already received directions for a nearby lake where Ash and his friends could continue their research. As they left, two of the men gave a single glance back at Dawn and Ash before making the loud and rude grunt of disgust they used whenever they were about to do anything unpleasant.