archaebacteria
Primordial single-celled organisms
Archaebacteria are single-celled microorganisms distinct from ordinary bacteria, now usually called archaea.
They thrive in extreme environments—hot springs, salt lakes, oxygen-free swamps—that resemble conditions on early Earth.
Despite their name suggesting ancient bacteria, they're actually more closely related to complex life forms than to true bacteria.
Archaebacteria were among the first life forms on Earth.
Cell without nuclear membrane
- domainArea of control
- eubacteriaProkaryotes with peptidoglycan walls
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- taxonomyScience of categorical arrangement
ribosomal · kingdom · clade · monophyletic · taxon · genera · species
One cell only
- membraneThin tissue sheet
- lipidsWater-insoluble biomolecules
- ribosomeProtein synthesis site
- cytoplasmGel surrounding the nucleus
nucleoid · plasmid · chromosome · RNA · DNA · replication · transcription · cell-wall
Very old indeed
- primordialExisting from the start
- originsPoints where things start
- PrecambrianEarliest geological eon
- abiogenesisLife from inanimate matter
evolution · phylogenetics · Archean · divergence · endosymbiosis · primitive · ancestral
Heat-adapted living thing
- anaerobeOrganism needing no oxygen
- hydrothermalHot water underground
- hotspringGeothermally heated water source
- hypersalineExcessively high salt concentration
Adhesive layer of microorganisms
- microbiomeBody's microbial community
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
- biogeochemicalLife-geology-chemistry interactions
- methaneSimplest alkane fuel
bioremediation · decomposition · rumen · sediment · soil · marine · freshwater · bioreactor
prokaryote
Cell without nuclear membrane
- domainArea of control
- eubacteriaProkaryotes with peptidoglycan walls
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
taxonomy · ribosomal · kingdom · clade · monophyletic · taxon · genera · species
unicellular
One cell only
cytoplasm · nucleoid · plasmid · chromosome · RNA · DNA · replication · transcription · cell-wall · metabolism
ancient
Very old indeed
- primordialExisting from the start
- originsPoints where things start
- PrecambrianEarliest geological eon
abiogenesis · evolution · phylogenetics · Archean · divergence · endosymbiosis · primitive · ancestral
thermophile
Heat-adapted living thing
- anaerobeOrganism needing no oxygen
- hydrothermalHot water underground
- hotspringGeothermally heated water source
biofilm
Adhesive layer of microorganisms
- microbiomeBody's microbial community
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
- biogeochemicalLife-geology-chemistry interactions
methane · bioremediation · decomposition · rumen · sediment · soil · marine · freshwater · bioreactor · cultivation
archaic, archaea, archaeology, bacterium, antibacterial, archaism, bacteriology