Identify the differences between Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, and the evolutionary relationships between the 3 groups Explain the ecological roles of prokaryotes: decomposers, producers, nitrogen fixers, pathogens, and various symbioses and recognize that cyanobacteria are the only group that has evolved the ability to carry out oxygen-producing photosynthesis Discuss the mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer, the widespread nature of this process in prokaryotes, and its importance in the evolution eukaryotic groups Describe major shapes, cell wall types, modes of nutrition used by bacteria and different responses to oxygen Define the following terms: halophile, extremophile, thermophile, methanogen, decomposer, nitrogen fixation, aerobic, anaerobic, photoautotroph, photoheterotroph, chemoautotroph, chemoheterotroph, transformation, transduction, conjugation, binary fission, mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

In Bacteria and Archaea, the cells don't contain a nucleus. These groups have different Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). Moreover, Bacteria and Archaea have different cell walls (with peptidoglycans in Bacteria)  

In Eukarya, the cells have a nucleus.

The prokaryotes play important ecological roles, these organisms help to synthesize vitamins in the digestive system of animals and they are required for the fermentation process

The horizontal gene transfer is the transmission of genetic information between no related species. In prokaryotes, the process of horizontal gene transfer is given by the use of DNA fragments derived from plasmids to integrate them into their genomes. In eukaryotes, the horizontal gene transference is a less common process

halophile: organisms that live in salt  

extremophile: organisms that live in extreme conditions  

thermophile: organisms that live in high temperature  

methanogen: organisms that produce methane  

decomposer: organisms that decompose organic compounds  

nitrogen fixation: that fix nitrogen in organic compounds  

aerobic:  that survive in oxygen conditions  

anaerobic: that survive without oxygen  

photoautotroph: that produce food using light

photoheterotroph: that use light for energy

chemoautotroph: that produce food using chemical compounds

chemoheterotroph: that use chemical compounds for energy

transformation, transduction and conjugation are gentic processes in bacteria  

binary fission: asexual reproduction in archaea and bacteria  

mutualism, commensalism, parasitism are ecological relationships among populations