Overview: They?re (Almost) Everywhere! ? Prokaryotes were the earliest organisms on Earth. ? Today, they still dominate the biosphere. ? Their collective biomass outweighs all eukaryotes combined at least tenfold. ? More prokaryotes inhabit a handful of fertile soil or the mouth or skin of a human than the total number of people who have ever lived. ? Prokaryotes are wherever there is life. ? They thrive in habitats that are too cold, too hot, too salty, too acidic, or too alkaline for any eukaryote. ? Prokaryotes have even been discovered in rocks two miles below the surface of the Earth. ? Why have these organisms dominated the biosphere since the origin of life on Earth? ? Prokaryotes display diverse adaptations that allow them to inhabit many environments.
Prokaryotes
Overview: They?re (Almost) Everywhere! ? Prokaryotes were the earliest organisms on Earth. ? Today, they still dominate the biosphere. ? Their collective biomass outweighs all eukaryotes combined at least tenfold. ? More prokaryotes inhabit a handful of fertile soil or the mouth or skin of a human than the total number of people who have ever lived. ? Prokaryotes are wherever there is life. ? They thrive in habitats that are too cold, too hot, too salty, too acidic, or too alkaline for any eukaryote. ? Prokaryotes have even been discovered in rocks two miles below the surface of the Earth. ? Why have these organisms dominated the biosphere since the origin of life on Earth? ? Prokaryotes display diverse adaptations that allow them to inhabit many environments.
Need Help?
We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.
For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.
If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.
Need Notes?
While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!