hydrotermisella

Hydrotermisella is a fictional genus of extremophilic microorganisms used in educational and speculative discussions of hydrothermal vent ecosystems. The name is constructed from elements meaning water and heat, with a diminutive suffix to imply a small, microbial form.

In the imagined scenario, hydrotermisella species are chemolithoautotrophs that thrive in high-temperature, chemically reducing fluids associated with deep-sea vents. They are described as slender rods or filamentous cells, typically less than 1 μm in width and several micrometers in length, with adaptations such as heat-stable enzymes and highly branched membrane lipids.

Metabolism is portrayed as hydrogen- and sulfur-oxidizing, with CO2 fixation supported by a variant of the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway or an abbreviated reverse TCA cycle. Some depictions include tolerance to high concentrations of metals and to microaerophilic conditions, enabling survival in vent plumes where oxygen is limited.

Ecology and role: In these fictional accounts, hydrotermisella contributes to primary production in vent communities, supporting other organisms by channeling inorganic energy into organic matter. The hypothetical genus is sometimes cited in discussions of microbial speciation under extreme environmental gradients.

Taxonomy and status: Hydrotermisella is not recognized in real-world taxonomic databases and has no cultured representatives. It is used here as an illustrative example rather than a description of a living taxon.