Where can I see archaea?

Archaea were originally seen only as extremophiles and as only living in harsh environments. However, scientists also find them in a broad range of habitats. They live in oceans, soils and marshlands. read more

Archaea can also be commensals, benefiting from an association without helping or harming the other organism. For example, the methanogen Methanobrevibacter smithii is by far the most common archaean in the human flora, making up about one in ten of all the prokaryotes in the human gut. read more

You can see archaean images below, made using a variety of micrographic techniques. You might think that organisms so small would not have much variety of shape or form, but in fact archaeal shapes are quite diverse. read more