In the light of recent classification of living organisms into three domains of life (bacteria, archaea and eukarya), which one of the following statements is true about archaea?
- Archaea completely differ from both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
- Archaea completely differ from prokaryotes.
- Archaea resemble eukarya in all respects.
- Archaea have some novel features that are absent in other prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Answer
(4) Archaea have some novel features that are absent in other prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Solution
Archaea are prokaryotic in cell organisation (no nucleus, no membrane-bound organelles), but share some molecular features with eukarya (e.g., histone-like proteins, similar RNA polymerase).
⇒ As per NCERT, archaebacteria differ from other bacteria in having a different cell wall structure, a feature responsible for their survival in extreme conditions.
∵ They also have unique features such as ether-linked membrane lipids and cell walls without peptidoglycan, found neither in other prokaryotes nor in eukaryotes,
∴ archaea have some novel features absent in other prokaryotes and eukaryotes; they do not differ completely from either group.
Answer: (4)