Most complex bacterium yet discovered

The bacterium Gemmata obscuriglobus has been described as the "platypus of microbiology" because it appears to contain features associated with eukaryotes.  These include a membrane-bounded nucleus, the ability to transport molecules such as proteins into the cell, and its ability to reproduce by a unique way of budding.

Electron microscope image of Gemmata obscuriglobus bacterium reveals several pore-like structures that resemble those found in the membrane of the nucleus in complex cells.