acidophilic

1 9.5

Able to live and grow well in very acidic places like hot springs

adjective
/ˌæsɪˈdoʊfɪlɪk/

Specialized

: acidofílico

This type of acidophilic organism can be found in volcanic hot springs where the pH is extremely low.

Examples

Histology shows the oncocytic cells with dense granular acidophilic cytoplasm.

Academic text (2009)
Histologic examination reveals polygonal basaloid cells with acidophilic cytoplasm and associated foci of calcification.

Academic text (1999)
Certain bacteria are considered acidophilic because they thrive in very acidic environments.
Acidophilic fungi play an important role in breaking down organic matter in acidic soils.

Synonyms

acid-loving

vsacidophilic

Specialized

1 7.0

Growing well in soil that contains acid, like blueberries

means able to grow without necessarily requiring very low pH

acidophilous

vsacidophilic

Specialized

9.9

Living things that grow well in acidic places like hot springs

is identical in meaning and use

aciduric

vsacidophilic

Specialized

9.9

Able to grow in acidic places like sour foods or the stomach

emphasizes growth rather than general thriving

How Acid-Loving

acidophilic

Specialized

1 9.5

neutrophilic

Specialized

8.5

alkaline-loving

Specialized

1 8.1

Surface Forms

acidophilic positive

Morphology

acidophilic = acidophile (semi-transparent) = acid + phil + ic

Formed by adding the regular adjective suffix '-ic' to the noun 'acidophile', a straightforward derivation.

Etymology

Acidophilic breaks into acid and philic, with philic coming from a Greek root meaning 'loving'. So acidophilic literally means 'acid-loving', and it describes organisms that can live and grow well in acidic places.