Answer: Archaebacteria have a distinct cell wall structure allowing survival in extreme habitats, eubacteria do not.
- A Archaebacteria largely lack a peptidoglycan-based cell wall found in most eubacteria species
- B Archaebacteria have a distinct cell wall structure allowing survival in extreme habitats, eubacteria do not
- C Eubacteria are mostly photosynthetic, while archaebacteria rarely carry out photosynthesis
- D Archaebacteria possess a true membrane-bound nucleus while eubacteria remain strictly prokaryotic organisms
Correct answer: B. Archaebacteria have a distinct cell wall structure allowing survival in extreme habitats, eubacteria do not
Explanation: Archaebacteria differ from other bacteria in having a distinct cell wall structure, which is responsible for their survival in extreme conditions like high salt (halophiles), hot springs (thermoacidophiles), and marshy areas (methanogens).
Whittaker's five-kingdom system (1969) groups all cellular life by cell structure and nutrition; viruses, viroids, and lichens fall outside this system entirely since they aren't independently classifiable as one of the five.
Concept context
Whittaker's five kingdom system covering Monera, Protista, Fungi, plus viruses, viroids, and lichens. A foundational NEET chapter on how living organisms are grouped.