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B4.2.7—Diversity in archaea

Archaea occupy diverse niches, including high-salt, extreme-pH, high-pressure and anaerobic habitats with varied metabolic strategies for survival and growth successfully.

Syllabus
First assessment 2025
Objective
B4.2.7
Level
SL

Exam analysis

Chance of appearing2%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceMay 2019
Most common paperPaper3
Typical marks1–2

Common command terms

  • State
  • Identify

Scoring notes

Common mistake
Using bacteria or fungi as the methane-producing group when archaea are required.

Recent exam appearances

May 2019Paper1 ["SL"] · TZ119[ 1 ]B4.2.7—Diversity in archaea
November 2013Paper3 ["SL"] · TZ017(a)[ 2 ]B4.2.7—Diversity in archaea
May 2013Paper3 ["SL"] · TZ2F3(b)[ 1 ]B4.2.7—Diversity in archaea
Practice this objective

Coverage 2013–2019 · Updated 15 Jul 2026

Concept essentials

  • Halophilic archaea live in high-salt environments.
  • Methanogens are associated with anaerobic habitats and methane production.
  • Some archaea use chemoautotrophic or light-driven energy strategies.
  • Archaea show broad ecological and nutritional diversity.
ConceptIB Biology SL