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📌 The Question:

Consider the following statements:

1. Some microorganisms can grow in environments with temperature above the boiling point of water.
2. Some microorganisms can grow in environments with temperature below the freezing point of water.
3. Some microorganisms can grow in highly acidic environment with a pH below 3.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

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✅ Correct Answer: (c) All three

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🧑‍🏫 Classroom Explanation

Statement 1 – Correct
Certain microorganisms called hyperthermophiles can survive at temperatures above 100°C.
Examples include Pyrolobus fumarii (up to 113°C) and Pyrococcus furiosus (around 100°C), found near hydrothermal vents. Their enzymes remain stable at extreme heat.

Statement 2 – Correct
Psychrophiles (cryophiles) are microorganisms that grow at very low temperatures, even below 0°C. They are found in polar regions, glaciers, and deep oceans.

Statement 3 – Correct
Acidophiles thrive in highly acidic environments. Extreme acidophiles grow at pH values below 3, such as in volcanic soils and acid mine drainage.

Hence, all three statements are correct.

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⚡ Curiosity Raiser

Life exists where water boils, freezes, or turns acidic — forcing us to rethink the very limits of habitability on Earth and beyond 🌍🌌

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📚 Enrich Notes (UPSC Edge)

• Extremophiles types to remember:
  • Thermophiles → heat
  • Psychrophiles → cold
  • Acidophiles → acidity
  • Halophiles → salt
• Key relevance: Astrobiology + Biotechnology

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🕊️ IAS Monk Whisper

“Where conditions end, curiosity begins — and life follows.”