Question

Prior to the work of ____________, scientists did not distinguish between members of the Archaea and the Bacteria.

Answer 1

Carl Woese

Step-by-step explanation:

Earlier scientists used to divide organisms in two major groups, the prokaryotes which consisted of bacteria and the eukaryotes which consisted of all the other higher organisms. Carl Woese divided organisms in three groups: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryotes. He concluded that Archaea are more similar to eukaryotes than to bacteria. Previously Archaea were thought to inhabit only hostile extreme places but now they have also been discovered in other less hostile environment.

Archaea are similar to bacteria when it comes to morphology. But the process of translation and transcription is significantly different from bacteria and resembles eukaryotes more. Their cell membrane have unique ether linked lipids for more stability and they have some unique metabolic pathways like methanogenesis.

Answer 2

Carl Richard Woese

Step-by-step explanation:

He was an American microbiologist and biophysicist. His main focus was upon genetic codification.

in 1977, Carl Woese and George E. Fox discovered a kind of microbial life which they called the “archaebacteria”. It composed "a third kingdom" of life different from bacteria, plants and animals. His three-domain system, divided life into 23 main divisions, incorporated within three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eucarya.