biology

Ignicoccus

Ignicoccus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ignicoccus rather than just read about it. In short: Ignicoccus is a genus of hyperthermophillic Archaea living in marine hydrothermal vents. They were discovered in samples taken at the Kolbeinsey Ridge north of Iceland, as well as at the East Pacific Rise (at 9 degrees N, 104 degrees W) in 2000.

Key takeaways

Ignicoccus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ignicoccus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ignicoccus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ignicoccus is a genus of hyperthermophillic Archaea living in marine hydrothermal vents. They were discovered in samples taken at the Kolbeinsey Ridge north of Iceland, as well as at the East Pacific Rise (at 9 degrees N, 104 degrees W) in 2000.

Systematics According to the comparisons of 16S rRNA genes, Ignicoccus represents a new, deeply branching lineage within the family of the Desulfurococcaceae. Three species are known: I. islandicus, I. pacificus and I. hospitalis strain KIN4I.

Cell structure The archaea of the genus Ignicoccus have tiny coccoid cells with a diameter of about 2 μm, that exhibit a smooth surface, an outer membrane and no S-layer. They have a previously unknown cell envelope structure—a cytoplasmic membrane, a periplasmic space (with a variable width of 20 to 400 nm, containing membrane-bound vesicles), and an outer membrane (approximately 10 nm wide, resembling the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria). The latter contains numerous tightly, irregularly packed single particles (about 8 nm in diameter) and pores with a diameter of 24 nm, surrounded by tiny particles, arranged in a ring (with a diameter of 130 nm) and clusters of up to eight particles 12 nm in diameter each. The two layers of membrane previously reported are actually a type of endomembrane system consisting of cytoplasmic protrusions. In I. hospitalis, these structures harbor the endosymbiotic archaeon Nanoarchaeum equitans.

Physiology Ignicocci live in a temperature range of 70–98 °C (optimum around 90 °C). They gain energy by reduction of elemental sulfur to hydrogen sulfide using molecular hydrogen as the electron donor. A unique symbiosis with (or parasitism by) Nanoarchaeum equitans has also been reported.

Phylogeny The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN) and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ignicoccus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ignicoccus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ignicoccus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ignicoccus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ignicoccus

In research: Ignicoccus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ignicoccus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ignicoccus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Archaea genera, Extremophiles, Thermophiles, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ignicoccus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ignicoccus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ignicoccus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ignicoccus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ignicoccus in simple terms?

Why does Ignicoccus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ignicoccus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ignicoccus.