Question

Each of the following bacterial lifestyles exposes the bacteria to an environment that requires special evolutionary adaptations to survive. In each case, explain what adaptations were required for the bacteria to live in that environment, and describe how the adaptations allow survival.

A. Thermophiles

B. Microaerophiles

C. Alkalophiles

D. Halophiles

Answer 1

Adaptations for organisms to live in environment as follows:

A]Thermophiles- Thermophile is an organism that thrives at relatively high temperatues,betwen 45-80 ⁰

1]Their membrane and proteins are unusually stable at this extremely hot temperatures.

2] They are found in various geotermally heated regions of the earth such as hot springs

3]As a prerequisite for their survival ,thermophiles contains enzymes that can function at higher temperature.

B. Microaerophiles= are organisms that require oxygen for their survive.

C. Alkalophiles = Alkaliphiles are a class of extremophillic microbes capable of survival in alkaline pH environment.growing optimally around a pH 10

1] They have a reduced basic amino acid content of proteins or segments thereof that are exposed to the medium

2]Alkaliphiles have a high buffering capacity

3] Excess of hexoseamines and amino acids are present in the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall.

4]They maintain the internal pH2 untill lower than the external pH

D. Halophiles=

1]Their cellular machinary is adapted to high salt concentration by having charged amino acids on their surfaces ,allowing the retension of water molecules around these components.

2] The cells contains the molar concentrations of K+ & Cl- to provide osmotic balance.

3]Enzymes 7 proteins require the presence of high salt concentrations.