Halophilic means needing a high amount of salt to grow. An example is a halophil, which is a tiny organism whose growth increases or is dependent on a high amount of salt. Halophilic comes from the Greek word "hals" meaning "salt," the Greek word "philos" meaning "fond," and the Greek word "ikos" meaning "pertaining to." Put the words together and you get "pertaining to fond (of) salt."

Back to main page Contact MedFriendly.com Copyright © 2001, MedFriendly.com. All rights reserved. You may not reprint or redisplay this material for commercial use without the express written consent of MedFriendly.com. Use of MedFriendly.com is subject to reading this disclaimer & the terms and conditions.