Haloquadratum - Classification
To name something is to classify it. There are many advantages to classifying organisms, because without classification, we cannot communicate out understanding of the organisms. Classification replaces chaos with order. The science of classification of organisms is called taxonomy. The purpose of this is to
name and identify organisms. Biological classification was developed to order organisms into groups that had more or less similar structures. Carl Linnaqus, who invented the system of classification we use today, said ‘If you do not know the name of things, the knowledge of them is lost too.’ Scientists needed to classify organisms and therefore name them, so they could convey information about a certain species with other scientists knowing which organism they are speaking of. Classifying is efficient and an accurate way of communicating about organisms. Classifying makes simplification, communication, predictions, relationships and conservation a lot easier.
Biological systems of classification recognise a group and give it a name, which then leads to a hierarchy with specific ranks/levels. The order of classification goes Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. The use of these levels makes classification easier and is a systematic way of naming organisms according to their characteristics. The system goes from largest group and least alike to the smallest group and most alike.
Domain: Archaea
Phylum: Euryarchaeota
Class: Halobacteria
Order: Halobacteriales
Family: Halobacteriaceae
Species: Haloquadratum, Haloquadratum walsbyi
The Archaea constitute of a domain or kingdom of single-celled micro-organisms. They are classified as Archaeas' because they have no cell nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelles within their cells. In the past, Archaea had been classed with bacteria as prokaryotes. The Archaea have an independent evolutionary history and show many differences in their biochemistry from other forms of life, and so they are now classified as a separate domain in the three-domain system. The Archaea group is then split into many different species including the Haloarchaea or Halophile community (all different names for the same group), which are salt-tolerant and use sunlight as an energy source. The Haloarchaea micro-organisms require high salt concentrations to grow and are a distinct branch in evolution of the Archaea. The Haloarchaea require salt concentration of around 10% and grow more when this level is higher. They are a type of extremophile organism. The haloquadratum is a genus of the family of Haloarchaea. The first species to be identified in this group was the Haloquadratum Walsbyi, which is highly unusual due to its cell shape or flat,
square boxes. This unusually shaped Haloquadratum, is known as the "Square Haloarchaeon of Walsby." This Haloquadratum Walsbyi, the 'salt square' is square shaped and extremely thin which is only permitted in high solute concentrations in water. The Haloquadratum cells
were regular, extremely thin squares that contained gas vesicles and often formed extended sheets. They were then often found in natural salt
lakes and salt crystallized ponds. As salinities approach saturation, the majority of micro-organisms which are found belong to the Haloarchaea family and with the high cell densities the pigments of these bacteria often give the surrounding waters a distinct pink colour.
name and identify organisms. Biological classification was developed to order organisms into groups that had more or less similar structures. Carl Linnaqus, who invented the system of classification we use today, said ‘If you do not know the name of things, the knowledge of them is lost too.’ Scientists needed to classify organisms and therefore name them, so they could convey information about a certain species with other scientists knowing which organism they are speaking of. Classifying is efficient and an accurate way of communicating about organisms. Classifying makes simplification, communication, predictions, relationships and conservation a lot easier.
Biological systems of classification recognise a group and give it a name, which then leads to a hierarchy with specific ranks/levels. The order of classification goes Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. The use of these levels makes classification easier and is a systematic way of naming organisms according to their characteristics. The system goes from largest group and least alike to the smallest group and most alike.
Domain: Archaea
Phylum: Euryarchaeota
Class: Halobacteria
Order: Halobacteriales
Family: Halobacteriaceae
Species: Haloquadratum, Haloquadratum walsbyi
The Archaea constitute of a domain or kingdom of single-celled micro-organisms. They are classified as Archaeas' because they have no cell nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelles within their cells. In the past, Archaea had been classed with bacteria as prokaryotes. The Archaea have an independent evolutionary history and show many differences in their biochemistry from other forms of life, and so they are now classified as a separate domain in the three-domain system. The Archaea group is then split into many different species including the Haloarchaea or Halophile community (all different names for the same group), which are salt-tolerant and use sunlight as an energy source. The Haloarchaea micro-organisms require high salt concentrations to grow and are a distinct branch in evolution of the Archaea. The Haloarchaea require salt concentration of around 10% and grow more when this level is higher. They are a type of extremophile organism. The haloquadratum is a genus of the family of Haloarchaea. The first species to be identified in this group was the Haloquadratum Walsbyi, which is highly unusual due to its cell shape or flat,
square boxes. This unusually shaped Haloquadratum, is known as the "Square Haloarchaeon of Walsby." This Haloquadratum Walsbyi, the 'salt square' is square shaped and extremely thin which is only permitted in high solute concentrations in water. The Haloquadratum cells
were regular, extremely thin squares that contained gas vesicles and often formed extended sheets. They were then often found in natural salt
lakes and salt crystallized ponds. As salinities approach saturation, the majority of micro-organisms which are found belong to the Haloarchaea family and with the high cell densities the pigments of these bacteria often give the surrounding waters a distinct pink colour.