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( Thermophile)
A thermophile is an organism — a type of extremophile — that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between 45 and 80&_160;°C[1] (113 and 176&_160;°F). Many thermophiles are archaea. Thermophiles are found in various geothermally heated regions of the Earth such as hot springs like those in Yellowstone National Park (see image) and deep sea hydrothermal vents, as well as decaying plant matter such as peat bogs and compost. As a prerequisite for their survival, thermophiles contain enzymes that can function at high temperature. Some of these enzymes are used in molecular biology (for example, heat-stable DNA polymerases for PCR), and in washing agents. Thermophiles are classified into obligate and facultative thermophiles Obligate thermophiles (also called extreme thermophiles) require such high temperatures for growth, whereas facultative thermophiles (also called moderate thermophiles) can thrive at high temperatures but also at lower temperatures (below 50 °C). Hyperthermophiles are particularly extreme thermophiles for which the optimal temperatures are above 80 °C.
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