NASA-supported scientists have discovered an organism that lives at temperatures before thought impossible for life. High temperatures can cause the destruction of necessary cell components, which is a big problem for cells with parts like a nucleus encasing delicate genetic information.
In the waters of California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, a team of scientists observed an amoeba that can reproduce by division at an astonishing 145 degrees Fahrenheit, setting a record for the upper temperature limit for all known eukaryotes. Incendiamoeba cascadensis, also dubbed the fire amoeba, stops reproducing above 145 degrees Fahrenheit but is still active, moving around to search for food at up to 147 degrees Fahrenheit. The previous limit of 140 degrees Fahrenheit for eukaryotes was set by a few species of fungi and red algae.
The results were published on Tuesday in the journal Cell.
Organisms that endure at the edges of habitability under temperature, pH levels, radiation, and other environmental conditions are known as extremophiles.
Previous extremophile research has mostly focused on single-celled bacteria and archaea. The new study shows that the cells of eukaryotes might be more durable than before thought and could even help scientists understand places in the universe where life could survive.
Life on Earth is broadly divided into two categories, prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Organisms that live in extreme heat are known as thermophiles. To be a true ‘heat-loving’ thermophile, the organism must be able to replicate, move, eat, and survive above 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
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