Difference between Archaea and Bacteria

The main difference between Archaea and Bacteria is the difference of their reproductive methods and cell membrane composition. Archaea undergo asexual reproduction through budding, binary fission, and fragmentation, while Bacteria produce spores to remain dormant for extended periods.

Archaea vs. Bacteria

Here are the main differences between Archaea and Bacteria:

Aspect	Bacteria	Archaea
Classification	Domain Bacteria	Domain Archaea
Cell Type	Prokaryotic	Prokaryotic
Cell Structure	Lack nucleus and membrane-bound organelles	Lack nucleus and membrane-bound organelles
Cell Wall	Varies in composition	Pseudopeptidoglycan
Cell Membrane	Ester-linked lipids	Ether-linked lipids
Flagella	Evolved from type III secretion system	Evolved from bacterial type IV pili
Flagella Assembly	Subunits added at the tip of flagella	Subunits added at the base of flagella
Genetic Material	Single, circular chromosome	Single, circular chromosome
Metabolic Diversity	Aerobic, anaerobic, photosynthetic bacteria	Modified form of glycolysis and citric acid cycle
Types	Gram-positive and Gram-negative	Methanogens, Thermophiles, and Halophiles
Habitat	Ubiquitous, found in various environments	Hot springs, marshlands, deep sea vents, gut of humans/ruminants