Archaebacteria and Eubacteria

All living organisms are classified into three major domains: Domain
Eukaryota (eukaryotes), Domain Eubacteria (true bacteria), and
Domain Archaea (archaebacteria). Domain Eubacteria includes the true bacteria. It
is the largest domain that includes a large group of organisms. Eubacteria as well as
archaebacterial are prokaryotes.

Eubacteria are prokaryotic microorganisms consisting of a single cell lacking

a nucleus and containing DNA is a single circular chromosome. Eubacteria can be
either gram-negative or gram-positive; they have economic, agricultural, and medical
importance. They include E. coli, Lactobacilli, and Azospirillum.

Eubacteria Characteristics

Eubacteria are unicellular prokaryotic cells. They contain a circular

chromosome. Moreover, the eubacteria cell wall is composed of peptidoglycan. They
greatly differ in terms of morphology and physiology. Eubacterial cell type is
prokaryotic. Their cells lack nucleus and cell organelles present in eukaryotic cells.
Their DNA is not inside a nucleus. The size of bacteria ranges from 0.2 to more than
50 micrometers. Bacteria are usually unicellular, however, some colonies of bacteria
are found as filaments or aggregates in the form of surface biofilms.

Bacteria are unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms. Their cells contain

carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. They produce energy and
metabolites using different chemicals since their cells lack cellular organelles such
as chloroplasts, nuclei, and mitochondria that perform these functions. Usually, the
bacterial chromosome is circular, however, some species have two chromosomes
like Vibrio cholera while other species have a linear chromosome. DNA of these cells
is not linked with a histone. Rather, it is linked to different proteins.

Bacterial cells are cylindrical, spiral, spherical, or pleomorphic (irregular in

shape). Some bacteria obtain their energy from the sunlight and use carbon dioxide
for obtaining carbon to perform photosynthesis to create cellular biomass. These
bacteria are called photosynthetic bacteria. Among these species
are cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Other eubacteria species get energy through
organic and inorganic material metabolism (such as from sulphur and ammonia).

Eubacteria are mostly heterotrophs, which take food from an outer source.
Most heterotrophs decompose dead material or parasites that live on or in a host.
Other eubacteria are autotrophs by making their own food; they are either
chemosynthetic or photosynthetic. The most important autotrophic eubacteria are
cyanobacteria.Respiration in eubacteria is either aerobic or anaerobic. Anaerobic
bacteria undergo fermentation as an example of respiration.
 Archaebacteria

The archaea are prokaryotic microorganisms that reproduce asexually by

budding, binary fission, and fragmentation. They are highly specialized organisms
known as ancient bacteria. Some archaea live in extreme environments such
as extremely high temperatures (referred to as thermophiles) while other
archaea can live in oxygen-free environments (methanogens). Halophiles are
salt-loving archaea growing only in environments rich in salt, such as brines.
Archaea bacteria can also be found in some parts of the human body such as the
colon, mouth, and skin. Archaea bacteria are not usually pathogenic.

Bacteria is a term that was previously used to include all bacteria. Soon, two
groups emerged: eubacteria or true bacteria and archaebacteria or archaea.
Eubacteria and archaebacteria are the only prokaryotes found on earth. They have a
common progenitor cell but different evolutionary lines. Both eubacterial and
archaeal cells lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Even though the archaea are structurally similar to bacteria, they are different
when examined at a molecular level. For example, bacterial cells usually have a
peptidoglycan outer layer that varies in thickness in gram-negative or gram-positive
bacteria. But archaea do not have peptidoglycan. Some archaea, such as
methanogens, have a pseudopeptidoglycan S layer that forms a layer to resist the
internal high osmotic pressure.

The main differences between archaebacteria and eubacteria

Eubacteria Archaebacteria

Complex microorganisms Simpler microorganisms

Live anywhere on earth Live mostly in extreme conditions

Peptidoglycan cell wall Pseudopeptidoglycan cell wall

Can obtain energy by Krebs cycle or Cannot perform Krebs cycle or glycolysis
glycolysis

Contains L-glycerol phosphate in their Contains D-glycerol phosphate in their

membranes lipids membranes lipids

Simple RNA polymerase Complex RNA polymerase

Examples: Clostridium, Bacillus, Examples: Pyrobaculum, Ferroplasma,

Pseudomonas, and Mycobacterium Lokiarchaeum, and Thermoproteus
Types of Eubacteria

The domain bacteria are classified according to several characteristics

including shape (bacillus, coccus, spirochete, or vibrio), the requirement of
oxygen (facultative or obligate aerobes or anaerobes), nutrition (chemosynthetic or
photosynthetic, and the composition of their cell wall (Gram-positive or Gram-
negative).

Eubacteria usually have one shape. However, in some cases, their shape becomes
altered due to environmental conditions. Some eubacteria are
normally polymorphic, such as Corynebacterium and Rhizobium.

Rounded (cocci) bacteria may be elongated, flattened, or oval. After division and
reproduction, they can remain attached to each other. Diplococci means that two
cells remain attached to each other after reproduction whereas streptococci mean
that they are attached to each other in a chainlike pattern. Those that remain in
groups of four cells and divide into two planes are called tetrads. Staphylococci are
divided into different planes forming grapelike clusters or sheets. Bacilli bacteria can
divide in one direction only so they have fewer forms of grouping than cocci. Bacilli
can either be single bacilli, diplobacilli (pairs) or streptobacilli (chains). Some bacilli
are oval and look similar to cocci therefore they are called coccobacilli. Vibrio or
spiral bacteria are twisted for one or more twists so they look like curved rods.
Helical bacteria are called spirilla. They have rigid bodies and look like a corkscrew.

Eubacteria are classified into several phyla. Each bacterial phylum includes species
characterized by specific features. Examples are as follows:

 Proteobacteria include most gram-negative bacteria. They are thought to

have arisen from photosynthetic ancestors. Proteobacteria are classified into
five classes: alphaproteobacteria, betaproteobacteria, gammaproteobacteria,
deltaproteobacteria, and epsilonproteobacteria.
 Cyanobacteria are characterized by a blue-green pigment. They perform
photosynthesis as plants and algae. Many of these bacteria can fix nitrogen in
the soil, therefore, they are important in agricultural fields.
 Chlorobi phylum consists of photosynthetic bacteria. Members of this phylum
are green sulfur bacteria. Chlorobi reduces carbon dioxide during
photosynthesis using organic compounds such as carbohydrates and acids.
Members of this phylum diverse greatly with their rods, spiral, cocci, or
budding forms.
 Chloroflexi members are green nonsulfur bacteria, such as Chloroflexi can
perform photosynthesis.
 Chlamydiae members are pathogenic gram-negative cocci that have a
unique cycle of development. They are transmitted from human to human by
direct contact or respiratory airborne routes.
 Planctomycetes are budding gram-negative bacteria. Even though their DNA
is similar to bacteria, their cell wall is similar to archaea. Additionally, some of
them contain organelles similar to those of eukaryotes.
  Bacteroidetes are anaerobic bacteria that inhabit the human intestinal tract
or oral cavity or intestinal tract. They are present in feces and may cause
infection due to surgery or puncture wounds.
 Fusobacteria are anaerobic bacteria; their cell shape is either pleomorphic or
spindle.
 Spirochaetes are coiled resembling metal springs. They are flagellated. Their
flagella facilitate their movement using axial filaments. Spirochaetes are
usually present in the human mouth.

Evolution of Eubacteria

Three domains of life were proposed in the 1990s based on the fact that ribosomes
are different in the three types of cells (Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, and Eukaryota)
after comparing the nucleotides sequence in each cell. Even though Eubacteria and
Archaebacteria are prokaryotes, the two domains were separated due to variation in
the small rRNA subunit in both domains. Archaebacteria live in extreme
environments, therefore, they are thought to be the first organisms to live on Earth.
Molecular theories support the fact that genes were transferred horizontally between
the three types of cells which consequently affected the evolutionary process of life.

According to the Endosymbiotic theory, some bacteria have evolved into

mitochondria and chloroplasts by gene transmission. Accordingly, mitochondria and
chloroplasts were genetically transferred between different domains to continue the
evolutionary process.