Dictionary > Barophile

Barophile

Definition
noun, plural: barophiles
An organism that grows in high-pressure environments
Supplement
A barophile is an organism that needs a high-pressure environment in order to grow. Barophiles are a type of an extremophile. An example of a high-pressure habitat is the deep-sea environment, such as ocean floors and dee lakes where the pressure can exceed 380 atm. Another is the subsurface rocks with high lithostatic pressures.
Barophiles that cannot survive outside their high-pressure habitats are referred to as obligate barophiles. Those that can live at high pressures and in less extreme environment are referred to as barotolerants. Halomonas salaria, a Gram-negative proteobacterium, is an example of an obligate barophile. It needs a pressure of 1000 atm.
Many barophiles are sensitive to ultraviolet rays and are susceptible to UV radiation. They lack the essential mechanisms of DNA repair to counter the effects of UV radiation. Thus, many of them grow in darkness. Because of this, they also tend to be psychrophilic. That means they live under cold temperatures, e.g. about 2-3 °C below 100 m.
Another example of barophile is the xenophyophores, which are single-celled eukaryotes found in the deepest ocean trench (i.e. about 6.6 miles below the surface).
Synonym(s):

  • piezophile

See also:

  • extremophile


  • You will also like...

    Growth Patterns
    Growth Patterns

    This tutorial describes the sigmoid curve, annual plant growth, tree growth, human growth, and insect growth as the grow..

    An artistic depiction of Dunkleosteus fish
    Fish

    The sea was teeming with life. Eventually, through reproduction and continued variation, fish came about. There are over..

    An artist's depiction of the origin of amphibians
    Amphibians & Early Reptiles

    Obtaining air outside an aquatic environment required species to acquire suitable adaptations, and this was the case of ..

    DNA carries genes coding for proteins
    Genetic Information and Protein Synthesis

    Genes are expressed through the process of protein synthesis. This elaborate tutorial provides an in-depth review of the..

    Adaptation Tutorial
    Adaptation Tutorial

    Adaptation, in biology and ecology, refers to the process or trait through which organisms or the populations in a habit..

    Electromagnetic spectrum of a brain
    Sleep and Dreams – Neurology

    While learning and intelligence are associated with the functions of a conscious mind, sleep and dreams are activities o..

    Related Articles...

    No related articles found

    See all Related Topics