Which of the following features differ between the domains Bacteria and Archaea?

• A. Presence of a nucleus
• B. Membrane lipid structure
• C. Cell wall composition
• D. Ribosomal RNA sequences

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the question is asking about features that differ between the domains Bacteria and Archaea, which are two major groups of prokaryotic organisms.
2. Step 2: Recall that both Bacteria and Archaea lack a nucleus, so the presence of a nucleus is not a distinguishing feature between them.
3. Step 3: Examine membrane lipid structure: Bacteria have membrane lipids with ester-linked fatty acids, while Archaea have ether-linked isoprenoid chains, which is a key difference.
4. Step 4: Consider cell wall composition: Bacterial cell walls typically contain peptidoglycan, whereas Archaeal cell walls do not contain peptidoglycan but have other unique polymers, making this a distinguishing feature.
5. Step 5: Look at ribosomal RNA sequences: The rRNA sequences of Archaea are distinct from those of Bacteria, which is used to classify them into separate domains.