Bacteria

Bacteria

The two major groups of bacteria are chemically very different, which probably means they diverged early in the evolution of life. Archaebacteria thrive in extreme environments like the very hot smoking vents at the bottom of the ocean. They may represent the earliest forms of life which developed when Earth was much hotter and there was no free oxygen around. True Bacteria (Eubacteria) live in water, soil, decaying matter and animal bodies. Most species are beneficial but some cause diseases. All bacteria are tiny cells which may be spherical (cocci), rod-shaped (bacilli) or spirals (spirilla). They multiply by simple division. [CH] {EN}