from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Archaebacteria \Ar*ch[ae]"bac*te"ri*a\, Archaeobacteria
\Ar*ch[ae]"o*bac*te"ri*a\, n. (Microbiol.)
A group of single-celled microorganisms including the
methanogens and some halophiles and thermoacidophiles,
recognized in the 1970's by C. R. Woese and his colleagues as
being a distinct group on the basis of RNA sequences, cell
walls, and coenzymes differing from those of other microbes.
It is believed to be an ancient form of living organism that
evolved separately from the eubacteria and blue-green algae.
It is classified as a separate kingdom by some taxonomists.
See also [a href="more]Archaebacteria.html">The
Archaebacteria.
[PJC]