AbstractThermophiles have been of interest for a long time both to scientists and to the general public, and are believed tohave a great potential in biotechtiology and some products are already on the markets. For present the current sta-tus of research, here we collect a great deal of new information on the thermophilic (eu)bacteria, discuss the mainproperties and differences of thermophilic bacteria and archaea, The diveristy, ecology, and evolution of ther-mophiles are also briefly reviewed.