Download Archaebacteria - Raleigh Charter High School

Archaea
Bacteria
Key Features
 Extremophiles that can live in harsh conditions
such as hot springs, salt water, and even inside
the human stomach
 Single celled organisms that lack nuclei and
peptidoglycan in their cell walls
 Most are cocci (spherical), bacilli (rod-shaped),
or spiral shaped, but unusual forms exist also
Life Cycle
 Archaea reproduce asexually and divide
by binary fission, fragmentation, or
budding; in contrast to bacteria and
eukaryotes, no species of archaea are
known that form spores.
Interesting Facts
 Methanogenic archaea live in the
stomachs of humans and ruminants and
aid in digestion
 Some are used to make biogas or as part
of sewage treatment
 Enzymes from archaebacteria are used
in biotechnology because they can
withstand high temperatures