Three-domain system A phylogenetic tree based on rRNA data, showing the separation of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes The three-domain system is a biological classification introduced by Carl Woese in 1977[1][2] that divides cellular life forms into archaea, bacteria, and eukaryote domains. In particular, it emphasizes the separation of prokaryotes into two groups, originally called Eubacteria (now Bacteria) and Archaebacteria (now Archaea). Woese argued that, on the basis of differences in 16S rRNA genes, these two groups and the eukaryotes each arose separately from an ancestor with poorly developed genetic machinery, often called a progenote. To reflect these primary lines of descent, he treated each as a domain, divided into several different kingdoms. Woese initially used the term kingdom to refer to the three primary phylogenic groupings now referred to as domains, until the latter term was coined in 1990
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 16:47:55 +0000
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