Thermoplastisia

Thermoplastisia is a term encountered in speculative biology and fiction to describe a proposed group of life-like systems adapted to high-temperature, polymer-rich environments. The name derives from thermo- (heat) and plast- (mold, form) with the -ia suffix.

In fictional accounts, thermoplastisia are depicted as organisms that interact with thermoplastic materials. They may form extracellular polymeric matrices that soften and re-solidify with heat, enabling movement, growth, or self-restructuring of their habitat. Some portrayals emphasize reversible phase transitions of surrounding polymers as a mechanism for energy storage or camouflage.

Habitat and ecology: They are imagined to inhabit places with elevated temperatures and abundant polymers, such as geothermal zones near industrial facilities, hot waste streams, or areas where plastic polymers accumulate. Their life cycles are linked to the thermal cycling that governs the plastic matrix states.

Biochemistry: In these concepts, thermoplastisia often rely on enzymes or catalysts capable of polymer synthesis and degradation at high temperatures, allowing uptake of monomers from polymers or remodeling of polymer networks to form protective niches.

Relation to science: Thermoplastisia are not recognized as real organisms in current biology; they appear primarily in speculative fiction and thought experiments about bioplastics, circular economy, and the potential for life in polymer-rich worlds. Real-world studies of polymer-degrading microbes and extremophiles offer inspirations but do not describe Thermoplastisia.

References: fictional concept; no peer-reviewed taxonomic status.