Methanobrevibacter smithii is a common human-gut archaeon that consumes hydrogen and makes methane. That chemistry can shift how bacteria ferment fibre — ecology, not an infection label. Detecting archaeal DNA on skin or in hospitals usually means environmental cells or reagents, not an outbreak of 'archaeal plague'.
Human relevance is methane, microbiome ecology and industrial enzymes from extremophiles — not a germ-theory villain. They keep hydrogen low so fermenting bacteria can keep working on fibre. Breath methane tests are research tools, not self-diagnosis.
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Scores are the atlas’s 0–100 teaching marks for each topic. They are not a diagnosis, a dose or a treatment choice.
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All points done. Next: Open the topic: Archaea
Methanobrevibacter smithii is a common human-gut archaeon that consumes hydrogen and makes methane. That chemistry can shift how bacteria ferment fibre — ecology, not an infection label. Detecting archaeal DNA on skin or in hospitals usually means environmental cells or reagents, not an outbreak of 'archaeal plague'.
Human relevance is methane, microbiome ecology and industrial enzymes from extremophiles — not a germ-theory villain. They keep hydrogen low so fermenting bacteria can keep working on fibre. Breath methane tests are research tools, not self-diagnosis.
Cows and other ruminants host dense methanogens. That alliance feeds people and also emits methane — a climate trade. Heat-stable polymerases from Thermococcus and relatives powered PCR after bacterial Taq. Concept only — not a protocol.
Archaea look like bacteria under a cheap microscope: no nucleus, small cells. Their lipids, ribosomes and information genes tell another story. Carl Woese's rRNA trees in 1977 split them from 'bacteria' as a mixed bag.
This is education from the atlas. It does not diagnose and does not prescribe a dose. It does not replace the full topic page.
Next question: Bacteriophages · Open the topic: Archaea
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