The upper temperature limit for life on Earth was once thought to be around 110°C, but recent discoveries have pushed this limit to 125°C.
Extremophile microorganisms have been found living in a variety of extreme environments, including hot springs, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and even nuclear waste sites.
Some extremophiles have evolved unique adaptations to survive at high temperatures, such as proteins that are more heat-stable and enzymes that work more efficiently at high temperatures.
Studying extremophiles can help us to better understand the limits of life and the potential for life to exist in other extreme environments, such as on other planets.
In 2019, scientists discovered a new species of amoeba, Gromovoria terrae, that can survive and reproduce at temperatures up to 121°C.
G. terrae is the first known eukaryotic microorganism to be able to survive at such high temperatures.
Scientists believe that G. terrae may have evolved its heat tolerance in response to the high temperatures of the hot spring where it was discovered.
The discovery of G. terrae suggests that life may be able to survive in even more extreme environments than previously thought.
Studying extremophiles like G. terrae could help us to develop new technologies for heat-resistant enzymes and proteins, which could have a variety of applications in industries such as biotechnology and medicine.
Ultimately, the study of extremophiles could help us to better understand the origins and evolution of life on Earth, and the potential for life to exist elsewhere in the universe.