Final answer:
Halophilic means that an organism is "salt-loving" and requires high concentrations of salt to survive, such as Halobacterium which thrives in the Dead Sea.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term halophilic refers to organisms that are "salt-loving" and require high salt concentrations to grow and thrive. An example of such an organism is Halobacterium salinarum, which inhabits the Dead Sea and other hypersaline environments. These organisms are capable of enduring and proliferating in conditions with salt concentrations close to saturation, around 36%, which is fatal to most other forms of life.
Unlike halotolerant organisms that can grow in high salt conditions but do not require them, halophiles like the class Halobacteria need very high levels of sodium chloride. Furthermore, some halobacteria contribute to the purple coloration seen in salty bodies of water due to their use of the protein bacteriorhodopsin for photosynthesis.