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Eukaryotic Cell vs.

Prokaryotic Cell
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The distinction between prokaryotes and

eukaryotes is considered to be the most
important distinction among groups of
organisms. Eukaryotic cells contain
membrane-bound organelles, such as the
nucleus, while prokaryotic cells do not.
Differences in cellular structure of
prokaryotes and eukaryotes include the
presence of mitochondria and
chloroplasts, the cell wall, and the
structure of chromosomal DNA.
Prokaryotes were the only form of life on
Earth for millions of years until more
complicated eukaryotic cells came into
being through the process of evolution.
Comparison chart

Nucleu Present Absent

s
Numbe More than one One--but not true
r of chromosome:
chromo Plasmids
somes
Usually multicellular Usually
unicellular (some
Cell
cyanobacteria
Type
may be
multicellular)
True Present Absent
Membr
ane
bound
Nucleu
s
Exampl Animals and Plants Bacteria and
e Archaea
Genetic Meiosis and fusion of Partial,
Recom gametes undirectional
binatio transfers DNA
n
Lysoso Present Absent
mes
and
peroxis
omes
Microtu Present Absent or rare
bules
Endopl Present Absent
asmic
reticulu
m
Mitoch Present Absent
ondria
Cytosk Present May be absent
eleton
 Eukaryotes wrap their Multiple proteins
DNA around proteins act together to
called histones. fold and
condense
prokaryotic DNA.
DNA
Folded DNA is
wrappi
then organized
ng on
into a variety of
protein
conformations
s.
that are
supercoiled and
wound around
tetramers of the
HU protein.

Comparison chart continues below.

Riboso larger smaller

mes
Vesicle Present Present
s
Golgi Present Absent
apparat
us
Present (in plants) Absent;
Chlorop chlorophyll
lasts scattered in the
cytoplasm
Microscopic in size; Submicroscopic
membrane bound; in size,
Flagella usually arranged as nine composed of
doublets surrounding only one fiber
two singlets
Permea Selective not present
bility of
Nuclear
Membr
ane
Plasma Yes Usually no
membr
ane
with
steroid
Only in plant cells and Usually
Cell
fungi (chemically chemically
wall
simpler) complex
Vacuol Present Present
es
Cell Eukaryotic Cell
10-100um Prokaryotic
1-10um
size Cell

Definition of eukaryotes and

prokaryotes
Prokaryotes (pro-KAR-ee-ot-es) (from Old
Greek pro- before + karyon nut or kernel,
referring to the cell nucleus, + suffix -otos,
pl. -otes; also spelled "procaryotes") are
organisms without a cell nucleus (=
karyon), or any other membrane-bound
organelles. Most are unicellular, but some
prokaryotes are multicellular.
Eukaryotes (IPA: [juːˈkæɹɪɒt]) are
organisms whose cells are organized into
complex structures by internal
membranes and a cytoskeleton. The most
characteristic membrane bound structure
is the nucleus. This feature gives them
their name, (also spelled "eucaryote,")
which comes from the Greek ευ, meaning
good/true, and κάρυον, meaning nut,
referring to the nucleus. Animals, plants,
fungi, and protists are eukaryotes.

Differences Between
Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic
Cells
The difference between the structure of
prokaryotes and eukaryotes is so great
that it is considered to be the most
important distinction among groups of
organisms.
 Prokaryotic vs e…
e…
Eukaryotic Cell Prokaryotic
Cell

The most fundamental difference is

that eukaryotes do have "true" nuclei
containing their DNA, whereas the
genetic material in prokaryotes is
not membrane-bound.
In eukaryotes, the
mitochondria and
chloroplasts
perform various
metabolic
processes and are Structure and
contents of a typical
believed to have Gram-positive
been derived from bacterium cell (a
prokaryotic cell)
endosymbiotic
bacteria. In prokaryotes similar
processes occur across the cell
membrane; endosymbionts are
extremely rare.
The cell walls of prokaryotes are
generally formed of a different
molecule (peptidoglycan) to those
of eukaryotes (many eukaryotes do
not have a cell wall at all).
Prokaryotes are usually much
smaller than eukaryotic cells.
Prokaryotes also differ from
eukaryotes in that they contain only
a single loop of stable chromosomal
DNA stored in an area named the
nucleoid, while eukaryote DNA is
found on tightly bound and
organised chromosomes. Although
some eukaryotes have satellite DNA
structures called plasmids, these
are generally regarded as a
prokaryote feature and many
important genes in prokaryotes are
stored on plasmids.
Prokaryotes
Eukaryotic have
Cell a larger surface
Prokaryotic
area to volume ratio giving
Cellthem a
higher metabolic rate, a higher
growth rate and consequently a
shorter generation time compared
to Eukaryotes.
Genes
Prokaryotes also differ from
eukaryotes in the structure,
packing, density, and
arrangement of their genes on
the chromosome. Prokaryotes
have incredibly compact
genomes compared to
eukaryotes, mostly because
prokaryote genes lack introns
and large non-coding regions
between each gene.
Whereas nearly 95% of the
human genome does not code
for proteins or RNA or includes
a gene promoter, nearly all of
the prokaryote genome codes
or controls something.
Prokaryote genes are also
expressed in groups, known as
operons, instead of
individually, as in eukaryotes.
In a prokaryote cell, all genes
in an operon(three in the case
of the famous lac operon) are
transcribed on the same piece
of RNA and then made into
separate proteins, whereas if
these genes were native to
eukaryotes, they each would
have their own promoter and
be transcribed on their own
strand of mRNA. This lesser
degree of control over gene
expression contributes to the
simplicity of the prokaryotes
 as compared to the
eukaryotes.

References
Wikipedia:Eukaryote
Wikipedia:Prokaryote

Related Comparisons

Plant Cell vs. Animal Cell

Cilia and Flagella

DNA vs. RNA

Mitosis and Meiosis

 Diploid vs. Haploid

Autotroph vs. Heterotroph

Related Categories:
Science Biology Cellular Biology

Comments: Eukaryotic Cell

vs Prokaryotic Cell
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Bring such more hai
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Thank you sir good comparison of
prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell
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Casdor Chiyaze
its good
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