Thread: halophiles and thermophiles role?

Halophiles and thermophiles are two of the three groups of Archaea. Halophiles live in environments with plenty of salt concentration and thermophiles live in geothermal areas where there is plenty of heat.
What exactly is their role in their extreme environment?

An example is methanogens live in wetlands and intestinal tracts of herbivores. Their main role in their environment is to remove excess hydrogen and fermentation products that have been produced by other forms of anaerobic respiration.

Originally Posted by scidude

Halophiles and thermophiles are two of the three groups of Archaea. Halophiles live in environments with plenty of salt concentration and thermophiles live in geothermal areas where there is plenty of heat.
What exactly is their role in their extreme environment?

An example is methanogens live in wetlands and intestinal tracts of herbivores. Their main role in their environment is to remove excess hydrogen and fermentation products that have been produced by other forms of anaerobic respiration.

This question of yours may, or may not, be founded on a logical misunderstanding.

No living beings (despite what religion tells you!) have any telos. At least not as far as science is concerned. Therefore, by definition, they don't have 'purposes'.

Methanogens don't have a 'role'. They have behaviour, or lifestyles, that work in certain ways. Evolution works in ways that allows for these methanogens to develop commensal relationships with, say, grass eaters, providing a sort of 'joint' lifestyle - often also called symbiosis.

If you want an outline of the lifestyles of the halophiles and thermophiles, look up wikipedia. If you're looking for a 'purpose' for them look up al-Q'uran, or The Bible, or some such - science doesn't deal in that.

Apologies if I've misunderstood your question(s) - I'll be happy to clarify any further questions you may have.

cheer

shanks

Okay, I might have worded it wrong. Methanogens may not exactly have a role but it does use up hydrogen because it needs it as an energy source. Thus we sort of view it as having a role in the environment even though methanogens are just trying to survive.

So does halophiles and thermophiles ‘technically’ have a role in their environment?

thanks

Are you familiar with the biochemical pathways catalysed by thermophiles at hydrothermal vents? That might provide a clue for you.....

I don't know specifics about halophiles, but I suspect they are similar to thermophiles in that they are able to survive in places where plants cannot and are able to fix carbon. Thus, where plants form the basis of most food chains as being the primary carbon fixers, these bacteria form the basis of any food chain ecology that might exist in such environments. Thermophiles living near hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean cannot only physically survive there but fix carbon using an energy source other than light (which obviously does not reach such depths). Whole ecosystems build up around these vents based on the thermophilic bacteria.

thermohiles' role is to provide Taq polymerase for scientists so they can do PCR.

Originally Posted by spuriousmonkey

thermohiles' role is to provide Taq polymerase for scientists so they can do PCR.

I didn't know that. That's pretty cool. I owe a good deal of my job to thermophiles.

In Finland we use a different one. Much cheaper.

thanks for the info, i forgot that their role in the ecosystem can be their role in the environment

guys your not specifically stating the role of halophiles and thermophiles in the ecosystem??
i need help 4 my exam
thnx

science.geek, there is a good answer to just such an exam question in this thread already, even though we don't generally encourage the giving away of homework/exam questions.

i must hav missed the answer then
our teacher rushed through this topic and obviously missed this that why im asking
r u able 2 repeat the answer pls

If you know how to read, just read the thread again. If you can't understand the point from what's written here my repeating it won't help you.

Since the answer is really already given and we generally do not support just giving answers away to students any way, I'm going to close this thread. If anyone would like to have a real discussion about thermophiles and halophiles, PM me and I will re-open it.
/moderator mode