What does mesophile mean?
A mesophile is an organism, particularly a bacterium, that grows best at moderate temperatures. The word is mainly used in microbiology, ecology, and environmental science when researchers classify organisms according to their preferred temperature ranges. Mesophiles are contrasted with psychrophiles, which favor cold conditions, and thermophiles, which favor hot conditions. Many ordinary soil and water bacteria are mesophiles, so the term does not necessarily indicate unusual or extreme conditions; it identifies a preference for a moderate range. In laboratory and ecological studies, the classification can help explain where an organism is likely to occur and how temperature affects its growth. The related adjective mesophilic is often used in expressions such as “mesophilic bacteria” and “mesophilic community,” while the noun refers to the organisms themselves.
nounA mesophile is an organism, especially a bacterium, that grows best at moderate temperatures. The term is used in biology and microbiology to distinguish such organisms from those that prefer very cold or very hot environments.
- An organism, especially a bacterium, whose optimal growth occurs at a moderate temperature.
"The sample was dominated by mesophiles adapted to the cave's moderate temperature."
"Many soil bacteria are mesophiles that grow well at ordinary temperatures."
"The researchers compared the growth of mesophiles with that of psychrophiles in the refrigerated samples."
The plural is used when referring to multiple temperature-preferring organisms.
"The study compared mesophiles adapted to different seasonal temperatures."
Mesophiles are nature's middle-temperature specialists, thriving where the cold specialists and heat lovers cannot.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of mesophile
The word combines Greek mesos, meaning “middle,” and philos, from philein, meaning “to love.” It therefore literally refers to organisms that “love” or prefer middle temperatures. The term was developed within the biological classification of organisms according to their temperature preferences.
Related word forms
How mesophile is actually used
This is a technical term used mainly in biology, microbiology, and environmental science. It describes the preferred temperature range of an organism rather than simply the temperature at which it can survive.
Easily confused with mesophile
A mesophile grows best at moderate temperatures, whereas a thermophile grows best at high temperatures.