What is the difference between bacteria and archaea?
First, let’s talk about the things that bacteria and archaea have in common. They are both microorganisms (meaning that they are too tiny to see by eye, you need a microscope), both single-celled, and they are both prokaryotes (meaning they do not have a nucleus or organelles). So it is easy to be confused about why they are different. In fact, until recently, it was generally believed that Archaea were a group within Bacteria. But now, it is generally believed that they are 2 different groups, and as different as Bacteria are different from Eukaryotes! Wikipedia has a good article on Archaea (see link below) but here are the most important differences between the 2 groups: 1. cell membranes The phospholipids in Archaea have ether bonds, while Bacteria have ester bonds. In addition, the glycerol group in Archaea is different from any other life form, and the lipid tails are chemically different from other organisms as well. 2. cell wall Most archaeal cell walls do not contain peptidogl
