What does mesophilic refer to?

The term mesophilic refers to organisms that thrive in moderate environmental conditions, particularly in terms of temperature. Mesophiles typically prefer ambient temperatures, generally within the range of 20°C to 45°C (68°F to 113°F). This characteristic makes them well-suited to environments such as soil and the human body, where the temperature is conducive to their growth and metabolic processes.

In the context of microbiology, mesophilic bacteria are important in various applications, including food fermentation and waste treatment processes, as they perform best in these moderate temperature ranges. Knowing the preferred conditions of mesophiles can help in understanding their roles in different ecosystems and their applications in industry.

This distinguishing feature of enjoying moderate conditions sets mesophiles apart from extremophiles, which thrive in extreme environments, or thermophiles and psychrophiles, which require high or low temperatures, respectively.