Halobacterium salinarum is a species of Halobacteria that is potentially the oldest living organism on Earth, with scientists having isolated its DNA from 250-million-year-old fossils.

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Halobacteria are salt-tolerant archaea that live in high-salt environments such as the Dead Sea. They play an essential role in these ecosystems by decomposing dead brine shrimp and nourishing young brine shrimp and flies with their metabolic byproducts.

Halobacteria

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Microbiology covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of the text make the material interesting and accessible while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. Microbiology’s art program enhances students’ understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs.

Microbiology is produced through a collaborative publishing agreement between OpenStax and the American Society for Microbiology Press. The book aligns with the curriculum guidelines of the American Society for Microbiology.

OpenStax Microbiology Textbook

Halobacteria require high concentrations of sodium chloride in their aquatic environments, close to saturation at 36%, which are found in bodies of water such as the Dead Sea and salty lakes in Antarctica and south-central Asia.

Sodium Chloride Requirements of Halobacteria

Halobacteria perform photosynthesis using the protein bacteriorhodopsin, which gives the organisms and the bodies of water they inhabit a distinct purple color.

Photosynthesis in Halobacteria

Halobacterium salinarum

Haloferax volcanii is a species of Halobacteria that possesses a sophisticated system of ion exchange to balance intracellular salt concentrations at high temperatures.

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