Glossary
The English version of our glossary is currently under construction and will be regularly updated.
Archaeans
Archaeans are tiny, single-celled bacteria, and can be round, rod- or ribbon-shaped. Capable of surviving under harsh conditions, they are extremely frugal. Archaeans can be found in a variety of settings and there are numerous subspecies. They are one of the three major groups of organisms (the others being eukaryotes and bacteria) formed in the course of evolution.
Archaeans are single-celled microorganisms without cell nuclei or membrane-bound organelles (i.e., they are prokaryotic). They constitute one of the three domains of life (the others being bacteria and eukaryotes). Archaeans chiefly differ from bacteria in terms of their molecular composition and biochemistry. Archaeans are noted for their ability to survive under extreme conditions, e.g. in hot springs, acidic soils, and high-saline lakes. They have a different cellular structure than bacteria or eukaryotes, in addition to other biochemical differences. Archaeans play an important part in the global ecosystem, as they are involved in a range of biogeochemical processes like nitrogen fixing and methane production.