Keywords
Classification, domain, tree of life
Definition
Eukarya is one of the three domains of life distinguished from Bacteria and Archaea at the morphological and molecular levels. All members of the Eukarya have a nucleus and are further distinguished from Bacteria and Archaea by a complex cellular organization with ultrastructural features including but not limited to nuclear pores, endoplasmic reticulum, 9 + 2 flagellar apparatus, mitotic spindle formation, acidified vacuoles, Golgi apparatus, multiple linear chromosomes, eukaryotic telomeres, and cellular processes that typically include mitosis, meiotic sex, endocytosis, and mitochondrial respiration. They are also differentiated from the other two domains by the presence of specific genes and proteins (e.g., tubulins, actin, dyneins, centrin, myosin, calmodulin, and ubiquitin).
Overview
Members of the domain Eukarya include both unicellular and multicellular representatives from the ∼1-μm...
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References and Further Reading
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Amaral-Zettler, L. (2011). Eukarya. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_537
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_537
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