What are the 5 major differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Answer

What are the 5 major differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
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Hint: Prokaryotic cells are primitive cells mainly found in the unicellular organisms, and they do not nucleus, instead they contain a fragment of DNA, and the organelles are not bounded by the membranes, where as the eukaryotic cells are found in all types of multicellular organisms such as plant and animal cells and they contains nucleus and membrane bound organelles.

Complete answer:

Prokaryotic cells Eukaryotic cells
This cells are always unicellular Eukaryotic cells are present as either unicellular or multicellular.
The size of cell is generally range from 0.2 micrometers to 2.0 micrometers in diameter Eukaryotic cells range from 10 to 100 micrometers in diameter.
In prokaryotic cells, the cell wall is present and it is very complex in nature. Eukaryotic cells have cell walls very rarely, if present they have simple chemical nature.
In this cells true nucleus absent, instead nucleotide is present True nucleus is present.
DNA is arranged in circular shape DNA is linear in shape
In prokaryotic cells, cytoplasm is present, but it is lacking in most cell organelles. In eukaryotic cells, it consists of both cytoplasm and organelles, both are present.
Mitochondria is absent Mitochondria is present and it is a powerhouse of cells.
Ribosomes are present, and they are small in size and shape is spherical Ribosomes are present but they are comparatively large and linear in shape.
Endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes and centromere’s all are absent Endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes and centromere’s all are present.
Plasmids are commonly found in prokaryotes. Plasmids are very rarely found in eukaryotes
Cell division occur through binary fission Cell division occur through mitosis
Flagella is small in size If flagella are large in size.
In this cells only asexual reproduction occurs. Both sexual and asexual reproduction occurs.
Bacteria and Archaea are examples. Plant and animal cells are examples.

Note: So prokaryotes are primitive cells compared to eukaryotes and in prokaryotes both transcription and translation occurred as couple, which means that translation begins during the time of synthesis of mRNA, while in eukaryotic cells, mRNA produce in nucleus and enters the cytoplasm where translation begins freshly.

Microorganisms are ubiquitous. They can be found in air, water, soil, inside and on the surfaces of plants, animals and humans. They live in a variety of habitats and under a wide variety of environmental conditions.  Microorganisms vary principally in their morphology and, depending on the degree of structural complexity are broadly classified as prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Contents

  • 1 Prokaryotes
    • 1.1 Prokaryotic cell structures and functions
  • 2 Eukaryotes
    • 2.1 Eukaryotic cell structures and functions
  • 3 Differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
  • 4 References

Prokaryotes

The word “prokaryotes” also spelled “procaryotes” is coined from two Greek words pro, before, and karyon, nut or kernel. It is used to describe unicellular (single-celled) organisms that lack true nucleus and membrane-bound cell organelles. This means that the genetic material in prokaryotes is not bound within a nucleus.

Prokaryotes are divided into two domains, bacteria and archaea. Bacteria used to be considered as the only category of prokaryotic cells, but in 1990 a second group, the archaea, were recognized as having equal status to bacteria.

Archaea tend to live in harsh environmental conditions (such as high temperatures, extremes pH or salinity etc.) and often possess unusual modes of metabolism. All other organisms including humans have the eukaryotic structure with relatively more complex architecture.

What are the 5 major differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic cell (Source: www.courses.lumenlearning.com)

Prokaryotic cell structures and functions

Capsules and slime layers Resistance to phagocytosis, adherence to surfaces
Cell wall Gives bacteria shape and protection from lysis in dilute solutions
Endospore Survival under harsh environmental conditions
Fimbriae and pili Attachment to surfaces, bacterial mating
Flagella Provides the power of motility or self-propulsion
Gas vacuole Buoyancy for floating in aquatic environments.
Inclusion bodies Storage of carbon, phosphate, and other substances
Nucleoid Localization of genetic material (DNA)
Periplasmic space Contains hydrolytic enzymes and binding proteins for nutrient processing and uptake’
Plasma membrane Selectively permeable barrier, mechanical boundary of cell, nutrient and waste transport, location of many metabolic processes (respiration, photosynthesis), detection of environmental cues for chemotaxis
Ribosomes Protein synthesis

Read Also: Microorganisms of Pharmaceutical Interest

Eukaryotes

Eukaryotes (eucaryotes) are organisms made up of cells that possess a membrane-bound nucleus. Just like prokaryotes, the word “eukaryotes” is derived from two Greek words eu, true, and karyon, nut or kernel.

A typical eukaryotic cell is surrounded by a plasma membrane and contains many different structures and organelles with a variety of functions. The major groups of microorganisms (fungi, protozoa and algae), as well as parasitic worms and mites, and all plants and animals up to and including humans all belong to this group.

Viruses do not have a cellular structure and so some scientists do not even regard them as living but merely mixtures of complex chemicals; nevertheless, they are indisputably agents of infection and for that reason are usually considered as part of the microbial world.

What are the 5 major differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Eukaryotic cell (Source: www.biologydictionary.net)

Eukaryotic cell structures and functions

Cell wall and pellicle Strengthen and give shape to the cell
Chloroplasts Photosynthesis—trapping light energy and formation of carbohydrate from CO2 and water
Cilia and flagella Cell movement
Cytoplasmic matrix Environment for other organelles, location of many metabolic processes
Endoplasmic reticulum Transport of materials, protein and lipid synthesis
Golgi apparatus Packaging and secretion of materials for  various purposes, lysosome formation
Lysosomes Intracellular digestion
Microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules Cell structure and movements, form the cytoskeleton
Mitochondria Energy production through use of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, electron transport, oxidative phosphorylation, and other pathways
Nucleolus Ribosomal RNA synthesis, ribosome construction
Nucleus Repository for genetic information, control centre for cell
Plasma membrane Mechanical cell boundary, selectively permeable barrier with transport systems, mediates cell-cell interactions and adhesion to surfaces, secretion
Ribosomes Protein synthesis
Vacuole Temporary storage and transport, digestion (food vacuoles), water balance (contractile vacuole)

The various differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are listed in the table below.

Characteristic Prokaryote Eukaryote
Size Typically 1 – 5  µm Normally greater than 10  µm
Cell nucleus Do not possess a true nucleus Have a nucleus surrounded by a nuclear membrane
Location of chromosomes In the cytoplasm, usually attached to the cell membrane Within a true nucleus separated from the cytoplasm by a nuclear membrane
Nuclear division and reproduction Mitosis and meiosis are
absent so reproduction is asexual
Exhibit both mitosis and
meiosis, so reproduction may be sexual or asexual or both
depending on species
Nucleolus Absent Present
Genetic variation Resulting largely from mutations Resulting both from mutations and the creation of new gene combinations during sexual
reproduction
Mitochondria, chloroplasts and ribosomes Mitochondria and chloroplasts
absent; ribosome size is 70s
Mitochondria and chloroplasts may be present; ribosomes larger: 80s
Chemical composition Do not possess sterols in the cell membrane but do
usually have peptidoglycan in
the cell walls
Do possess sterols in the
cell membrane but no
peptidoglycan in the walls
Flagella Structurally simple Structurally complex
Pili Present Absent
Storage compounds Poly -β- hydroxybutyrate often present Poly -β- hydroxybutyrate absent

References

  • Denyer, S., Hodges, N., Gorman, S. and Gilmore, S. (2011). Hugo and Russell’s Pharmaceutical Microbiology. UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
  • Ezeonu, I., Okafor, J. and Ogbonna, J. (2011). Laboratory Exercise in Microbiology: A Practical Manual for Students of Tertiary Institutions. Nigeria: Ephrata Printing and Publishing Company.
  • Hanlon, G. and Hodges, N. (2013). Essential Microbiology for Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science. UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  • Okore, V. (2009). Principles of Pharmaceutical Microbiology (2nd ed.). Nigeria: Ephrata Publishers.

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What are the 4 main differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic Cells
Eukaryotic Cells
DNA is circular in prokaryotes.
DNA is linear in eukaryotes.
Prokaryotes lack a nucleus.
The nucleus is present in eukaryotes.
Membrane-bound organelles are absent.
Membrane-bound organelles are present.
What are four differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?byjus.com › question-answer › what-are-4-differences-between-prokaryoti...null

What are 3 major differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic?

Prokaryotes
Eukaryotes
1.They are unicellular.
1.Could be either unicellular or multi-cellular.
2.Cell wall is generally present.
2.Cell wall can be present or absent.
3.Nucleus is absent, instead, they possess a nucleoid region in the cell.
3.Nucleus is always present.
5.DNA is Circular.
4.DNA is linear.
What are 3 differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?byjus.com › question-answer › what-are-3-differences-between-prokaryoti...null

What are 5 differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells Class 8?

There is no cytoskeleton in prokaryotes, whereas it is present in eukaryotes. The cell wall is chemically complex in prokaryotes. For eukaryotes, in plants and fungi, the cell wall is present and chemically simpler. Pili and fimbriae in prokaryotes may be present, but in eukaryotes they are absent.

What are the major differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic?

Prokaryotes are always unicellular, while eukaryotes are often multi-celled organisms. Additionally, eukaryotic cells are more than 100 to 10,000 times larger than prokaryotic cells and are much more complex. The DNA in eukaryotes is stored within the nucleus, while DNA is stored in the cytoplasm of prokaryotes.