Archaea

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archaea : usually single-celled, prokaryotic microorganisms of a domain (Archaea) that includes methanogens and those of harsh environments (such as acidic hot springs, hypersaline lakes, and deep-sea hydrothermal vents) which obtain energy from a variety of sources (such as carbon dioxide, acetate, ammonia, sulfur, or sunlight) — Webster See also OneLook

Encyclopedia

Archaea is a domain of single-celled organisms. These microorganisms lack cell nuclei and are therefore prokaryotes. Archaea were initially classified as bacteria, receiving the name archaebacteria (in the Archaebacteria kingdom), but this term has fallen out of use. Archaeal cells have unique properties separating them from the other two domains, Bacteria and Eukaryota. Archaea are further divided into multiple recognized phyla. Classification is difficult because most have not been isolated in a laboratory and have been detected only by their gene sequences in environmental samples.

Archaea and bacteria are generally similar in size and shape, although a few archaea have very different shapes, such as the flat, square cells of Haloquadratum walsbyi. Despite this morphological similarity to bacteria, archaea possess genes and several metabolic pathways that are more closely related to those of eukaryotes, notably for the enzymes involved in transcription and translation. Other aspects of archaeal biochemistry are unique, such as their reliance on ether lipids in their cell membranes, including archaeols. Archaea use more diverse energy sources than eukaryotes, ranging from organic compounds such as sugars, to ammonia, metal ions or even hydrogen gas. — Wikipedia

Archaea (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Archaea (Biology Online)

Archaea (Tree of Life)
Archaea (One Zoom)
Archaea (Catalogue of Life)
Archaea (WolframAlpha)

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