Amoeba grows at record temperature of 63 degrees
A newly described species from a Californian hot spring pushes the known temperature limit for eukaryotic cells.
.jpg){kind=link}
Researchers in California have found an amoeba species that can divide at 63 degrees Celsius. The study therefore describes a new temperature record for eukaryotes, but does not say that complex life in general tolerates such heat.
The species was named Incendiamoeba cascadensis and was found in a geothermal environment in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Among other things, the researchers examined the amoeba’s form, evolutionary position, distribution and ability to move and reproduce at high temperatures.
The 63-degree limit applies to eukaryotes: organisms whose cells have a nucleus and other specialised cell structures. Amoebas belong to this group. Bacteria and archaea are not eukaryotes and can tolerate much higher temperatures under different conditions.
According to the research article, the amoeba was able to divide at 63 degrees. The environment from which the species was isolated had temperatures between 49 and 65 degrees Celsius. This does not mean that every specimen lives continuously at 63 degrees or that the species can survive in all hot environments.
The discovery is chiefly relevant to the question of how cells protect their membranes, proteins and other structures from heat. The researchers describe characteristics that may help explain how this amoeba preserves its cellular function in an exceptionally hot environment.
This is a scientific publication about one newly described species. No independent replication of all the results has yet been reported, and the study shows no direct application for medicine, industry or climate adaptation. For now, its significance lies chiefly in extending a biological boundary and raising new questions about the evolution of eukaryotic cells.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The biological claims were checked directly against the research article. The text uses no breakthrough language and acknowledges the limited scope of the research.
- confirmed Incendiamoeba cascadensis can divide at 63 degrees Celsius. — Core finding of the research article. source
- confirmed The species was found in Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. — Description in the research article. source
- confirmed 63 degrees constitutes a temperature record for eukaryotes. — This is how the article positions the finding. source
Editor's note
The finding comes from a published research article. It concerns one species; independent replication and practical applications have not yet been demonstrated.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „amoebe eukaryoten”
- De Telegraaf — „amoebe eukaryoten”
- AD — „amoebe eukaryoten”