Question

Why is the Archaea important to the average person? I need to know this for an essay (newspaper article) and I cannot understand anything I read online about it. :(

Answer 1

archaeabacteria? what have your read about it?

Answer 2

well, i read that archaebacteria were put into their own kingdom by Carl Woese and that the reason was because they are very different from the other bacterias. I have to write a newspaper article about why Carl Woese' discovery was important to the average person. I just can't find information about what they do for us and I suck at writing :(

Answer 3

so you still need general background information?

Answer 4

Yes, exactly. I did read that they can cause pollution and global warming, but I want to know why they are GOOD for the average person to know about and what good things they do for us.

Answer 5

wikipedia is good for background information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaea

Answer 6

That is what I am trying to read but I just don't understand the content. I think it must be written for college kids or adults or something. I'm sorry if I suck at biology but I am behind in school and need to get it done today. I did find in reading that they do things with nitrogen but I don't fully understand that section.

Answer 7

It says this: "Archaea carry out many steps in the nitrogen cycle. This includes both reactions that remove nitrogen from ecosystems, such as nitrate-based respiration and denitrification, as well as processes that introduce nitrogen, such as nitrate assimilation and nitrogen fixation.[141][142] Archaean involvement in ammonia oxidation reactions was recently discovered. These reactions are particularly important in the oceans.[143][144] The archaea also appear to be crucial for ammonia oxidation in soils. They produce nitrite, which other microbes then oxidize to nitrate. Plants and other organisms consume the latter.[145]"

Answer 8

"No clear examples of archaeal pathogens or parasites are known, but they are often mutualists or commensals. One example is the methanogens that inhabit the human gut and the ruminant gut, where their vast numbers aid digestion."

this is probably the most important part for humans

Answer 9

o_o Do I just not learn enough in class or something? How can I learn to find things like that?

Answer 10

I also need to know how I can expand this to fill an article (I think I need more information still)

Answer 11

when you go to a wikipedia entry, what do you read first?
that passage was in the last paragraph at the top.

how long does the article have to be?

Answer 12

what is it about the Archaea and the nitrogen cycle?

Answer 13

Your article should include the following information:
a. Who is Carl Woese? Where did he work? When did he live? What are his credentials (education, degrees, etc)?
b. What did he do that made him famous? Give a summary of his work (in your own words!).
c. Explain the importance of his work. Why should we care what he learned? How does it affect the common person? (or does it?)

Answer 14

ok, his work doesn't affect the common person beyond having to learn about him in biology class.
for the other information, I would suggest looking at the wikipedia entry, specifically the sections "life and education" and "discovering the third kingdom"

Answer 15

wikipedia is a good place to get information when you don't have to cite sources

Answer 16

Well, if I can't find information on why they are important to the average person, I can't finish the project. (also means I can't have ice cream and cookies later)

Answer 17

his work does not specifically affect the common person. the closest thing to its impact on the life of the common person I can find is
"Notably, Woese's elucidation of the tree of life shows the overwhelming diversity of microbial lineages; single-celled organisms represent the vast majority of the biosphere's genetic, metabolic, and ecologic niche diversity.[30] As microbes are crucial for many biogeochemical cycles and to the continued function of the biosphere, Woese's efforts to clarify the evolution and diversity of microbes provided an invaluable service to ecologists and conservationists. It was a major contribution to the theory of evolution and to our knowledge of the history of life.[17]"

Answer 18

yes, it makes sense.

Answer 19

I need to think of how to write it out into a news article. I suck at writing too.

Answer 20

eh, I can't help you with that. writing has to be your own. you could have it be something like on the day he died remembering what he did in life?

Answer 21

idk if i can do that

Answer 22

do whatever you can, I can't help you with your writing.

Answer 23

ok :(

Answer 24

thanks anyway