Biology / Unit 9 Bio 1963 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Extremophiles and Biofilms
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The idea
An extremophile thrives in heat, salinity, or acidity that would kill most life, and many prokaryotes live inside biofilms rather than freely suspended.
In practice
Thermophilic archaea grow in near-boiling vents, while dental plaque is a biofilm embedded in a gummy matrix on teeth.
Where people slip
A biofilm's shared matrix makes its members more resistant to antibiotics than free-floating bacteria.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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