Microbes Thriving in Extreme Environments
One of the most exciting developments in origin-of-life research is the discovery of extremophiles—microbes that thrive in boiling hot springs, acidic lakes, and deep-sea vents. These resilient organisms serve as living analogs for the earliest life forms, showing that life can adapt to astonishingly harsh conditions. The study of extremophiles has dramatically expanded scientists’ understanding of where and how life could arise, both on Earth and on other worlds with extreme environments.