Kingdom Archaebacteria

ARCHAEBACTERIA• Archaebacteria are the oldest organism living on Earth. They are

unicellular prokaryotes - microbes without cell nucleus and any other membrane-bound organelles in their cells - and belong to the kingdom, Archaea. They were first discovered in 1977 by Carl Woose and George E. Fox and classified as bacteria. Most archaebacteria appear like bacteria, when observed under the microscope. However, they are quite different from bacteria and eukaryotes.

• Archaebacteria are found in very harsh conditions such as in the volcanic vents or at the bottom of the sea. They can easily survive in such extreme environment as sea vents releasing sulfide-rich gases, hot springs, or boiling mud around volcanoes.

Under the kingdom Archaea, archebacteria are classified into the following phyla

Phylum Euryarchaeota: This is the most studied division of archaea, and mostly includes methanogens and halophiles.

Phylum Crenarchaeota: It includes thermophiles, hyperthermophiles and thermoacidophiles. These archebacteria are mostly found in the marine environment.

Phylum Korarchaeota: This division consists of hyperthermophiles found in high temperature hydrothermal environment.

Phylum Thaumarchaeota: This phylum includes ammonia-oxidizing archaea, as well as those with unknown energy metablolism.

Phylum Nanoarchaeota: This phylum has a single representative member named Nanoarchaeum equitans. This unusual archebacterium is an obligate symbiont of another archaea belonging to the genus Ignicoccus.

additional info…

The word archae came from the Greek word Arkhaion, which means ancient. Archae is also the Latin name for prokaryotic cells.

Cell of an Archaebacteria

Kingdom Archae has THREE DIFFERENT TYPES. The functions and the structure of their genes are more similar to eukaryotes than eubacteria (monera).

Thermoacidophiles

Types of Archaebacteria

Thermoacidophiles, or thermophiles, inhabit hot environments. A report on bacteria from the University of Miami Department of Biology states that thermoacidophiles thrive in extremely acidic, hot and moist regions, such as those in and near sulfur hot springs. If they are in temperatures below 131 degrees F (55 degrees C), they die.

Halophiles

Another type of archaebacteria are halophiles. Just as thermophiles thrive in extremely hot environments, halophiles thrive in extremely salty environments. They make their home in water and soil, as long as there is a very high amount of salt.

Types of Archaebacteria

Methanogens

Methanogens can be found in environments that are anaerobic (no oxygen). Types of environments methanogens are found in are swamps and marshes, or intestinal tracts of animals and some humans. As their name suggests, methanogens produce methane gas. According to a study published in the October 2000 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, their trait of producing methane makes them easily detected within the intestinal tract.

Types of Archaebacteria

Methanocaldococcus jannaschii

Kingdom: Archaebacteria                                           

Phylum: Euryarchaeota                       

Class: Methanococci

Order: Methanococcales

Family: Methanocaldococcaceae

Genus: Methanocaldococcus

Species: jannaschii

Examples:Methanogens

Methanopyrus kandleri

Kingdom: Archaebacteria                                                                     Phylum: Euryarchaeota                                                                    Class: Methanopyri

Order: Methanopyrales

Family:Methanopyraceae

Genus: Methanopyrus

Species: kandleri

Examples:Methanogens

Ferroplasma acidophilum

Kingdom: Archaebacteria                                                                 Phylum: Euryarchaeota                                  Class: Thermoplasmata

Order: Thermoplasmatales

Family: Ferroplasma

Genus: Ferroplasma

Species: acidophylum

Examples:Thermoacidophiles

Picrophilus oshimae

Kingdom: Archaebacteria

Phylum: Euryarchaeota                                                                   Class: Thermoplasmata

Order: Thermoplasmatales

Family: Picrophilaceae

Genus: Picrophilus

Species: oshimae

Examples:Thermoacidophiles

Thermoplasma volcanium

Kingdom: Archaebacteria                                                                     Phylum: Euryarchaeota                                                                     Class: Thermoplasmata

Order: Thermoplasmatales

Family: Thermoplasmataceae

Genus: Thermoplasma

Species: volcanium

Examples:Thermoacidophiles

Haloferax volcanii

Kingdom: Archaebacteria                                                                     Phylum: Euryarchaeota                                                                     Class:Halobacteria

Order: Halobacteriales

Family: Halobacteriaceae

Genus: Haloferax

Species: volcanii

Halophiles Examples:

Halophiles

Halogeometricum borinquense

Kingdom: Archaebacteria                                                                     Phylum: Euryarchaeota                                                                     Class: Halobacteria

Order: Halobacteriales

Family: Halobacteriaceae

Genus: Halogeometricum

Species: borinquense

HalophilesExamples:

Halophiles

Project in Scienceby Group 4, G8-Diamond

Teacher: Mrs. Jenny H. Guevarra