El término termófilo se aplica a organismos vivos que pueden soportar condiciones extremas de temperatura relativamente altas, por encima de los 45ºC. Es un subtipo de vida extremófila. Muchos termófilos pertenecen al dominio Archaea.Estos organismos tienen una tasa de crecimiento rápida pero de corta duración.Ejemplos de este tipo son los organismos vivos que se desarrollan al lado de las fumarolas o chimeneas hidrotermales en las profundidades del océano como el anélido Riftia pachyptila y también algunos microorganismos como las bacterias metanógenas que se desarrollan en las mismas condiciones.

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A thermophile is an organism—a type of extremophile—that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between 41 and 122 °C (106 and 252 °F). Many thermophiles are archaea. Thermophilic eubacteria are suggested to have been among the earliest bacteria. Thermophiles are found in various geothermally heated regions of the Earth, such as hot springs like those in Yellowstone National Park (see image) and deep sea hydrothermal vents, as well as decaying plant matter, such as peat bogs and compost. Unlike other types of bacteria, thermophiles can survive at much hotter temperatures, whereas other bacteria would be damaged and sometimes killed if exposed to the same temperatures. Professor Zachary Studniberg, from Cambridge University, wrote in his book The Function of Extremophiles that they are the most unusual organism on the planet in terms of their contribution to modern life. As a prerequisite for their survival, thermophiles contain enzymes that can function at high temperatures. Some of these enzymes are used in molecular biology (for example, heat-stable DNA polymerases for PCR), and in washing agents. "Thermophile" is derived from the Greek: θερμότητα (thermotita), meaning heat, and Greek: φίλια (philia), love.

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