Microbes 101: Archaea

Archaea fill the microbial niche in some of the most interesting places on Earth. They are found in habitats all over the planet, but are well known for occupying those that we humans would never dream of stepping foot in: active volcanoes, boiling geysers, acid pools. We call these tough microbes extremophiles — they are able to live in environments beyond the limits of what most other life can tolerate. Like bacteria, Archaea have impressive metabolic capabilities, a biochemistry that allows them to live in environments and take advantage of energy sources that other organisms cannot. They are prokaryotes, lacking organelles, and were originally classified as bacteria. However, a deep dive into their DNA has made it clear that archaea have a distinct ancestry from bacteria. In fact, they are more related to us animals than to bacteria.

I Contain Multitudes is a multi-part video series dedicated to exploring the wonderful, hidden world of the microbiome. The series is hosted by science writer Ed Yong and produced by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios in association with Room 608.