Archaea or Archaeas: What are, examples and difference with bacteria

Archaeas are a biological domainwhich encompasses unicellular organisms without true nucleuswith metabolic routes and genetic material more similar to eukaryotesor true core organisms, that to prokaryotes, which are those that do not have a core.

Being unicellular without nucleus, it could be thought that they are bacteria, but they should not be confused with them, because they are two different domains. Previously they could be found under the name of archeobacteria, which is in disuse for what it suggests.

To be able to locate the arches within the biological organization, it is good to review your taxonomy compared to the other groups. There are three domains: Bacteria, Eukarya and the Archaea domain.

Some characteristics that help us understand what the arches are, are the following:

• Have Cell wall. In this link you will see a summary about the cell wall: what is, function and structure.
• They have no true nucleusbut nucleolo.
• They are size microscopic. Discover here what microorganisms are: classification, characteristics and types.
• There are different forms: coconuts, bacilli, spirils and some are even square, rectangular, irregular or triangular.
• They move through Cilia and Flagelos. Here you can learn about cilia and scourges: what are, function and structure.
• They are able to live in Extreme media.

The arches are classified according to their source of energy obtaining. These are the different types that exist:

• Photoautotrophs: They use the light to obtain energy, and the carbon source is CO2.
• Photoheterotrophs: They get energy from light, and carbon obtain it from chemical substances.
• Chemioheterotrophs: They obtain energy from chemical substances, and also carbon from chemical substances.

According to the place where they live, they are classified as:

• Acidophiles: They are those that live in environments with a pH of less than 7.
• Halophile: They develop in very saline environments.
• Thermophilic: Tolerate very high temperatures.
• PSYCHROPHILS: They are typical of very cold temperatures.
• Extremophiles: They are those that can live in extreme conditions, such as cold under zero, hydrothermal sources of high temperatures, or even in the ice. It generally encompasses all those mentioned in the previous points. We invite you to know more information about the extremophiles: what are, characteristics and examples here.
• Metanogenic: It produces methane as a result of its processes.

The arches are important because they play different roles in the processes of life, as well as all organisms. Some specific examples are:

• They are in the intestine of ruminants and human: To assess something often we need to associate it with us, so let’s start with this example. Certain types of arches live in our intestine, helping to digest food.
• They are decomponers: Decomposing beings undo organic matter, so that it can be included again in the nutrient cycle.
• They help fix nitrogen: They are important soil components, which help fix atmospheric nitrogen and that is available for plants.
• Produce biogas: Its ability to produce biogas is being investigated, to incorporate it into biotechnology to use it as a substitute for conventional gas.
• Produce methane: As a metabolic result, they produce methane, a gas that retains the temperature inside planet. While an excess of it causes climate change, it is also responsible for the world as we know it today, and that life is possible.
• They are potential bioplastic initiators: Archaeas have a huge potential to be used in biotechnology. This is another example of what they are capable.

• Haloquadratum walsbyi: It is a very appreciated archea because it has a particular square shape. Besides, He found himself in a saline lake in Sinai, demonstrating his unique ability to survive in high salt concentrations, where other living beings could not inhabit.
• Halobacterium sp.: These are arches that survive in saline environments. There is a theory, called the purple planet’s hypothesis, which says that the planet’s surface was not green, but dwelling because of these arches that proliferated 3 million years ago.
• Symbiosum dinnerchaeum: They are symbiotic arches with sea sponges, they are nitrifying.

• The arches are more genetically related to eukaryotes that with prokaryotes, as with bacteria.
• The arches have translation and transcription enzymes more similar to eukaryotes, which in bacteria is different and typified as prokaryotes.
• The cell wall of bacteria is made of peptidoglycan, while the cell wall of the arch is pseudopeptidoglycan.
• Archaeas have no true nucleus, but They have nucleolo unlike bacteria.
• Archaeas membranes are different from those of bacteria, because those of arches contain lipids, proteins and polysaccharides, while those of bacteria do not.
• Archaeas cannot be reproduced by sporesbut bacteria yes.
• The components of Flagelos are different. The proteins that form them in the arches are called archaelinas, and those of bacteria are called flagelinas. The assembly is also different in both.
• No pathogenic arches have been foundwhile bacteria are many.
• Archaeas use more diversity of elements to obtain energy, which in bacteria is more limited.

After learning about the Archaea group or arches: what are, examples and difference with bacteria, we encourage you to continue learning with our articles about the difference between viruses and bacteria and what Luca is, the last universal common ancestor.

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