Organism 1: Thermococcus Litoralis
Taxonomy
Domain: Archaea
Phylum: Euryarchaeota
Genus: Thermococcus
Species: T. litoralis
Why does it belong in this domain?
This organism belongs in the domain Archaea because it has membrane made of branched hydrocarbon chains which is a unique trait that only Archaea have. They also have RNA unique to Archaea [44].
General description of the organism
Thermococcus litoralis is a species of Archaea. It is non motile which is a trait unique for thermococci [41]. They can be found mostly in oil wells, hot springs and in hydrothermal vents deep under the sea. In order to get energy they use amino acids and maltose [42]. They also prefer a acidic environment where optimal ph is around 6, but growth can still occur between 4 and 8 ph. Thermococcus litoralis is between .5-3. µm in diameter [43].
Organism 2: Methanobrevibacter oralis
Taxonomy
Domain: Archaea
Phylum: Euryarchaeota
Genus: Methanobrevibacter
Species: T. oralis
Why does it belong in this domain?
One of the reason it belongs in Archaea is because it has RNA that is unique to Archaea. It also has membranes made of hydrocarbon chains which Eukarya and Bacteria do not have [47].
General description of the organism
Methanobrevibacter oralis is a type of Archean. It is sometimes found in the reproductive organs of humans. It is non-motile which means it can not move around [45]. It also produces methane and is gram positive which means it gives a positive result on a gram test. This means it has special characteristics such as a cytoplasmic lipid membrane [46]. It is also coccobacillus which means it is a spherical- rod shape.
