Directory of Archaea Resources

Home > Science > Biology > Flora and Fauna > Monera > Archaea

Primitive single-celled organisms thought by some to be the oldest life-forms on Earth. They were first known for their ability to survive in a range of extreme environments, such as salty water, hot springs, and sulfur vents at the bottom of the ocean floor, though further research also finds Archaea in a variety of non-extreme environments.

There is some disagreement as to how the Archaea should be classified. They were originally categorized as a sub-group of Bacteria, but they have very few similarities with them. Some taxonomies place them in a domain of their own, based on the differences between their genetic code and those of the Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes. Others place them within the Monera. Thus, the main divisions within the Archaea (Crenarchaea, Euryarchaeota, and sometimes others such as Korarchaeota and Nanoarchaeota) are variously described as kingdoms, phyla, or even classes.

Subcategories

• Crenarchaeota
• Euryarchaeota

Resources in This Category

• Archaea

  http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Life/archaea.html
  Introduction to this life form, written at three different levels of complexity for use by educators and students.

• Archaea

  http://www.hindawi.com/journals/archaea/
  Open access journal devoted to original research on the Archaea. Author guide, publication schedule, and text of older articles.

• Archaea (Archaebacteria)

  http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Archaea&contgroup=Life
  Taxonomy, description, and extensive references, with particular emphasis on the Crenarchaeota (classified here as a Kingdom.)

• BBC News: Toughest Bug Reveals Genetic Secrets

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/399972.stm
  Reports the decoding of the Pyrococcus abyssi, which lives in the intense pressure and temperature of black smoker vents on the seafloor.

• Distribution of Archaea in a Black Smoker Chimney Structure

  http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/67/8/3618
  Analysis of different communities in varied microhabitats of a deep-sea vent. Journal article from Applied and Environmental Microbiology

• Genome News Network: New Amino acid Discovered in Methanosarcina barkeri

  http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/05_02/amino_acid.shtml
  Reports on the discovery of a new amino acid, pyrrolysine, coded by UAG (normally a stop codon) in this methanogen.

• German Jurgens: Molecular phylogeny of Archaea in boreal forest soil, freshwater and temperate estuarine sediment

  http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/maa/skemi/vk/jurgens/
  Academic thesis on the unexpected organisms discovered by ribosomal analysis of non-extreme soil and water samples.

• Horikoshi Superbugs

  http://www.jst.go.jp/erato/project/htkb_P/htkb_P.html
  Summary of interesting organisms discovered during a search for extremophiles, including a picture of the triangular halophile Haloarcula japonicus.

• Introduction to the Archaea

  http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/archaea/archaea.html
  Covers their main groupings, chemical differences from other life forms, fossil record, and the structure of their cell walls.

• Open Questions: Archaea and Extremophiles

  http://www.openquestions.com/oq-bi002.htm
  Annotated list of recommended sources.

• Procaryotic Life

  http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/bacteriology.html
  Online textbook chapter from the University of Wisconsin, discussing the origin of life and touching on some of the molecular characteristics that separate the domains, Archaea and Bacteria.

• Taxonomy Browser (Archaea)

  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?name=Archaea
  Shows the relationships among the recognized groups, and samples yet to be named or classified.

• The Archaea

  http://www.earthlife.net/prokaryotes/archaea.html
  General introduction, mentioning most known genera and species of Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. Includes some technical details such as toxin sensitivities.

• Wikispecies: Archaea

  http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Archaea
  Taxonomy browser, with some links.

Related Categories

• Home > Science > Biology > Genetics > Prokaryotic > Archaea

 

Home > Science > Biology > Flora and Fauna > Monera > Archaea

 

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