5. Microbes that are classified as psychrophiles live in extremely cold conditions. The bacterium Psychromonas ingrahamii,...

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5. Microbes that are classified as psychrophiles live in extremely cold conditions. The bacterium Psychromonas ingrahamii, which lives in the ice of the Arctic Ocean at a frigid -20°C, holds the record in terms of bacteria growth at low temperatures. Microbes that live in such extreme conditions have a variety of adaptations; changes in membrane lipids and the cell's proteins are especially important adaptations. What adaptations would you suspect this bacterium has regarding its membrane fatty acids that help maintain mem- brane fluidity in such cold conditions? Provide a possible explana- tion as to why most enzymes from these bacteria do not function at room temperature. 5. Microbes that are classified as psychrophiles live in extremely cold conditions. The bacterium Psychromonas ingrahamii, which lives in the ice of the Arctic Ocean at a frigid -20°C, holds the record in terms of bacteria growth at low temperatures. Microbes that live in such extreme conditions have a variety of adaptations; changes in membrane lipids and the cell's proteins are especially important adaptations. What adaptations would you suspect this bacterium has regarding its membrane fatty acids that help maintain mem- brane fluidity in such cold conditions? Provide a possible explana- tion as to why most enzymes from these bacteria do not function at room temperature.

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Though extremely cold temperatures suppress growth in most living organisms it is interesting to note that some living organisms including psychrophil... View the full answer