mesofiel

Mesofiel is not a widely recognized term in standard scientific literature. When encountered, it is usually a variant or misspelling of mesophile, a descriptor used in microbiology to categorize organisms that grow best at moderate temperatures. The more common equivalents are mesófilo in Portuguese or mesófilo/mesófila in Spanish, and mesophile in English.

In biological terms, mesophiles prefer temperatures that are neither very cold nor very hot, typically in the range of about 20 to 45 degrees Celsius, with many organisms having an optimum near human body temperature (around 37°C). They are contrasted with psychrophiles, which favor cold environments, and thermophiles, which thrive at higher temperatures. Mesophiles include a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, and some protozoa and algae. They are common in soils, waters, and animal- or human-associated environments, and they play significant roles in nutrient cycles, health, and disease.

Growth characteristics of mesophiles can vary in terms of oxygen requirements, with some obligate aerobes, some facultative anaerobes, and others microaerophiles or anaerobes. Laboratory cultivation of mesophiles typically employs temperatures around 25–37°C, depending on the organism, and standard nutrient media. Understanding mesophiles is important in medicine, food microbiology, and industrial microbiology, where controlling temperature is a key factor in cultivation, spoilage prevention, and fermentation processes.

Etymology reflects the concept: from Greek mesos 'middle' and philos 'loving.' In practice, the term is more accurately rendered as mesófilo/mesófila in Romance languages, while mesofiel remains an uncommon or nonstandard variant. See also: psychrophile, thermophile, mesophilic.