Woese's three domains of life

Carl Woese's three domains of life categorize all living organisms into three main groups based on their genetic information: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Bacteria are single-celled organisms without a nucleus, like common bacteria. Archaea are also single-celled but have unique features, often thriving in extreme environments like hot springs. Eukarya includes all complex life forms with a nucleus, such as plants, animals, fungi, and protists. This classification helps scientists understand the evolutionary relationships among all life forms, highlighting that Archaea are as distinct from Bacteria as they are from Eukarya.