Understanding ArchaeA By: Josh Kutyna

Table of Contents (1)Introduction to Cytology (2)Clarification of Classification (3)Domain Discovery (4)Where Art Thou Archaea? (5)Structural Breakdown (6)Survival Of The Simplest? (7)Energy Efficiency (8)The More You Know (9)Alien Archaea (10)Origin Archaea (11)Works Cited

(1) Introduction To Cytology Cytology, simply put, is the study of cells. Scientists study cytology to better understand the structure, function and chemistry of living cells. All living things are composed of(a) cell(s), the characteristics of the cell(s) determines the classification of the organism.

(2) Clarification Of Classification 20 th century biological classification Early 1900’s: Most biologists considered all living things to either be a plant or an animal.(Failed to address fungi, protists and bacteria) ’s: 5 Kingdom system developed (4) Eukaryotic and (1) Prokaryotic. Late 1970’s: Discovery of Archaea prompts creation of new ‘3 Domain’ division.

(2.1) 3 Domains Of Life

(3) Domain Discovery Carl Richard Woese: Discovered two obviously different groups of “bacteria” in a high temperature environment. One group clustered close together near the source of heat where other organisms could not survive. These organisms were given the name Archaea and were found to have vastly different genetic makeup from bacteria.

(3.1) Domain Discovery On a biochemical and genetic level, Archaea are as different from bacteria as you are. “Archaeabacteria” has become an abandoned term. Eucaria Bacteria Archaea

(4) Where Art Thou Archaea? Archaea are considered extremophiles, meaning they can live and thrive in severely harsh environments. Broad scope of habitats ranging from salt lakes to volcanic vents, hot springs to soils and even our own digestive tract.

(4.1) Where Art Thou Archaea? Archaea are notably plentiful in the ocean, and the archaea that live inside of oceanic plankton are believed to be one of the most abundant groups of organisms on the planet.

(5) Structural Breakdown Archaea are single celled prokaryotes that lack a nucleus and other membrane bound organelles. Structurally similar to bacteria under a microscope.

(5.1) Structural Breakdown Pili: Used to transfer DNA to other cells. DNA: clustered strand referred to as a nucleoid, contains genetic material. Ribosomes: Carry out protein synthesis. Flagellum: Rotating filament used to Propel cell forward. Cell Wall: Provides structure/support. Plasma Membrane: Surrounds cytoplasm, Regulates molecular exchanges.

(6) Survival Of The Simplest? Archaea reproduce asexually by means of budding, binary fission and fragmentation. Multicellular eukaryotic organisms require substantial amounts of energy and stable environments to survive. In contrast prokaryotic Archaea have been discovered thriving in locations previously believed to be devoid of life.

(7) Energy Efficiency Many Archaea can metabolize inorganic compounds, allowing them to utilize energy sources that other organisms cannot. Through a process of exchanging electrons energy is released as adenosine triphosphate (ATP)and used to power the cell. This also allows Archaea to survive where alternative life cannot. Areas absent of sunlight and oxygen, or of high acidity and scorching temperatures.

(8) The More You Know There are believed to be 20 times more prokaryotic cells in your body than Eukaryotic (human) cells. Archaea comes from the greek word Meaning “Ancient” Historically, Archaea are more closely related to us than they are to bacteria.

(9) Alien Archaea The discovery of Archaea was a huge step forward for the methods we use in the pursuit of extraterrestrial life. Planets and solar systems once thought inhabitable(because of harsh conditions) are now viable sites of inquiry for the question of whether or not life on earth is universally isolated.

(10) Origin Archaea Archaea’s discovery also invigorated new debate among how life originated on earth. Many of the environments that Archaea flourish in are prime examples of Earth in its early stages. It is likely that Archaea and Bacteria came from one common ancestor, making archaea the oldest known living organisms on our planet.

(11) Works Cited “Archaea”. Microbe World. American Society For Microbilogy. 1 Jan Web. 13 Mar Speer, Brian. “Introduction to the Archaea” University of California. 20 Apr Web. 14 Mar. 2014<> /auarchaea.html<> Woese C, Fox G (1977). "Phylogenetic structure of the prokaryotic domain: the primary kingdoms". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 74 (11): 5088– Mar