Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which types of organisms belong to Euryarchaeota?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The Euryarchaeota subdivision of the domain Archaea includes a diverse range of organisms, both cultured and uncultured, that inhabit various environments.1

Cultured representatives of the Euryarchaeota include:

  • Methanogens: These organisms produce methane as a metabolic by-product and are found in anaerobic environments such as marshes, hot springs, and the digestive tracts of animals.1
  • Halophiles: These organisms thrive in high-salt environments.1
  • Thermophiles: Some members of this group are isolated from hot environments.1

In addition to these cultured groups, uncultivated euryarchaea found in deep-sea marine sediments play a critical role in the environment by removing methane through anaerobic oxidation. Other uncultivated methanogenic euryarchaea, found in terrestrial anaerobic environments like rice fields, are significant contributors to global methane emissions.1