Prokaryotes and their environment

Prokaryotes live in a broad variety of habitats at temperatures of around freezing to a maximum of 115?C. Their ability to use all naturally occurring carbon compounds as growth substrates allows them to grow in most places on earth. Despite their size they are responsible for the cycling of several millions of tons of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen by the atmosphere annually.

The Bacteria and Archaea almost always grow with other species. The majority are very difficult to grow in pure culture in the laboratory. Bacteria and Archaea grow in communities in the environment with the individual strains and species exchanging metabolites, so that most organic compounds are ultimately converted into biomass carbon dioxide and water.