EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Halophilic archaebacteria (haloarchaea) thrive in environments with salt concentrations approaching saturation, such as natural brines, the Dead Sea, alkaline salt lakes and marine solar salterns; they have also been isolated from rock salt of great geological age (195–250 million years).

Detailed explanation-2: -Archaea have been found in a number of extreme environments on Earth, though they can also be found in non-extreme environments. In the case of the Dead Sea, technically a salt lake, these organisms are known as halophiles, “salt-loving” in Greek.

Detailed explanation-3: -Archaea that live in salty environments are known as halophiles. Archaea that live in extremely hot environments are called thermophiles.

Detailed explanation-4: -The halophilic Archaea (order Halobacteriales) form a diverse group of microorganisms adapted to life at high salt concentrations. The cells contain molar concentrations of K+ and Cl− to provide osmotic balance.

Detailed explanation-5: -"Archaea have the capacity to withstand the Dead Sea’s very high levels of salinity. Until now, they were the only ones that had been identified in the deep waters of the Dead Sea.