"Extremophiles" is a term that refers to bacteria that are able to exist and thrive in environments that are extremely harsh (harsh, that is, in comparison with those environments classically envisioned as being hospitable to bacterial growth).

The discovery of extremophiles, beginning in the 1970s, has had three major influences on microbiology and the biotechnology industry. Firstly, the discovery of bacteria growing in environments such as the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park and around the hydrothermal vents located on the ocean floor (where the bacteria are in fact the fundamental basis of the specialized ecosystem that is fueled by the vents) has greatly increased the awareness of the possibilities for bacterial life on Earth and elsewhere. Indeed, the growth of some extremophiles occurs in environments that by all indications could exist on planets such as Mars and other stellar bodies. Thus, extremophilic bacteria might conceivably not be...