🔬 Prokaryotes: Two Worlds in One Microscope
Molecular research has revealed two distinct groups of prokaryotes: bacteria and archaea. These domains differ from each other at the molecular level and play important roles in ecosystems.
The diversity of bacteria, or eubacteria, ranges from beneficial microbes to pathogens, and they are familiar organisms found in soil or causing various diseases.
Archaea, or archaeobacteria, are particularly fascinating. They thrive in extreme conditions where other organisms cannot survive. For example, archaea can live in saline solutions, hot springs, and even in anoxic layers of the ocean. In the stomachs of cows, they help break down cellulose and produce methane.
Molecular research has revealed two distinct groups of prokaryotes: bacteria and archaea. These domains differ from each other at the molecular level and play important roles in ecosystems.
The diversity of bacteria, or eubacteria, ranges from beneficial microbes to pathogens, and they are familiar organisms found in soil or causing various diseases.
Archaea, or archaeobacteria, are particularly fascinating. They thrive in extreme conditions where other organisms cannot survive. For example, archaea can live in saline solutions, hot springs, and even in anoxic layers of the ocean. In the stomachs of cows, they help break down cellulose and produce methane.