ABSTRACT
Prokaryotes are vital to Earth’s biota. They are ubiquitous in terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic environments and even share space on and within other organisms. Estimates of the number of organisms existing in habitats on Earth are 12 × 1028 in aquatic, 355 × 1028 in oceanic subsurface, 26 × 1028 in terrestrial, and 250 × 1028 in terrestrial subsurface habitats, totaling a remarkable 6.4 × 1030 organisms (Whitman et al. 1998). They represent a large portion of Earth’s genetic diversity; they swap genes and evolve at a rate not possible by organisms of the Animalia and Plantae Kingdoms. They metabolize matter and obtain energy by feeding on other organic substances, including decaying resources; many members manufacture their own organic compounds and some
CONTENTS
21.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................249 21.2 Classical Forensic Microbiology ..........................................................................................250
