Importance of extremophilic microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles

Abstract

Extremophilic microorganisms are organisms capable of proliferating under extreme conditions that are generally detrimental to most life on Earth. They are organisms considered of importance in different areas of research, due to their ability to produce proteins and enzymes under inhospitable conditions. Therefore, in the present work, the information on their participation in the processes of biogeochemical cycles was collected and analyzed in order to demonstrate their ecological importance. Recent studies on the metabolic pathways of the Extremophilic microorganisms and their environment have shown that most of the archaea, some bacteria and cyanobacteria carry out metabolic activities essential for the biogeochemical cycles of sulfur, carbon and nitrogen. Archaea and bacteria being one of the main microorganisms that participate in a variety of processes such as sulfidogenesis, methanogenesis, ANAMMOX (anaerobic ammonium oxidation), among others. This has suggested that Extremophilic microorganisms and extreme ecosystems have a significant impact on global biogeochemical cycles.