differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are the two primary types of cells, differing fundamentally in their structure and complexity. Here are the key differences between them:

1. Nucleus:

• Prokaryotic cells lack a true nucleus. Their genetic material is not enclosed within a nuclear membrane; instead, it is located in a region called the nucleoid.
• Eukaryotic cells have a well-defined nucleus, where the cell’s DNA is enclosed within a nuclear envelope.

1. Cell Size:

• Prokaryotic cells are generally smaller, typically between 0.1 to 5 micrometers in diameter.
• Eukaryotic cells are larger, usually between 10 to 100 micrometers in diameter.

1. Cell Complexity:

• Prokaryotic cells are simpler in structure, with fewer types of organelles.
• Eukaryotic cells are more complex, containing a variety of organelles such as mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the Golgi apparatus.

1. Cell Wall:

• Many prokaryotes have a rigid cell wall composed of peptidoglycan (in bacteria) or other substances.
• Eukaryotic cells may or may not have a cell wall. If present, the cell wall is usually made of cellulose (in plants) or chitin (in fungi).

1. Ribosomes:

• Prokaryotic cells contain 70S ribosomes, which are smaller.
• Eukaryotic cells contain 80S ribosomes, which are larger.

1. DNA Structure:

• Prokaryotic DNA is typically circular and not associated with histone proteins.
• Eukaryotic DNA is linear and closely associated with histones to form chromatin and chromosomes.

1. Reproduction:

• Prokaryotes reproduce asexually through processes such as binary fission.
• Eukaryotes can reproduce both sexually and asexually, with mechanisms including mitosis and meiosis.

1. Organelles:

• Prokaryotic cells lack membrane-bound organelles.
• Eukaryotic cells have multiple membrane-bound organelles, such as mitochondria, chloroplasts (in plants), the endoplasmic reticulum, and the Golgi apparatus.

1. Cytoplasmic Division:

• Prokaryotic cells often divide by binary fission, where the cell simply splits into two.
• Eukaryotic cells divide by mitosis or meiosis, involving complex processes of chromosomal alignment and separation.

1. Genetic Recombination:

• Prokaryotic genetic recombination occurs through processes such as transformation, transduction, and conjugation.
• Eukaryotic genetic recombination primarily occurs during meiosis.

These differences reflect the evolutionary distance between prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, with eukaryotic cells representing a more complex and compartmentalized cellular organization.

Similarities:

1. Cell Membrane: Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have a cell membrane.

2. Genetic Material: They both contain genetic material (DNA)

Differences:

1. Nucleus: Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus, while eukaryotic cells have a nucleus.

2. Membrane-bound Organelles: Eukaryotic cells possess membrane-bound organelles like mitochondria, which are absent in prokaryotic cells.

3. Cell Size: Prokaryotic cells are generally smaller, while eukaryotic cells can be larger and more complex.

4. DNA Structure: Prokaryotic cells have a single circular DNA molecule, while eukaryotic cells have multiple linear DNA molecules forming chromosomes.

Nucleus:

• Prokaryotic cells: Lack a true nucleus. Instead, their genetic material is typically found in a region called the nucleoid, which is not enclosed by a membrane.
• Eukaryotic cells: Have a well-defined nucleus enclosed within a double membrane, which contains the cell's genetic material in the form of chromosomes.

Membrane-bound Organelles:

• Prokaryotic cells: Generally lack membrane-bound organelles. They may have some internal structures like ribosomes, but these are not enclosed by membranes.
• Eukaryotic cells: Contain membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, and chloroplasts (in plant cells). These organelles perform specialized functions within the cell.

Size:

• Prokaryotic cells: Typically smaller and simpler in structure compared to eukaryotic cells.
• Eukaryotic cells: Generally larger and more complex in structure due to the presence of membrane-bound organelles and a well-defined nucleus.

Cell Wall:

• Prokaryotic cells: Most prokaryotic cells have a cell wall, which provides structural support and protection. The composition of the cell wall varies among different types of prokaryotes (e.g., bacteria have a peptidoglycan cell wall).
• Eukaryotic cells: Some eukaryotic cells, such as plant cells and fungal cells, have a cell wall composed of materials like cellulose or chitin. Animal cells do not have a cell wall.

Reproduction:

• Prokaryotic cells: Reproduce primarily through binary fission, a process in which the cell divides into two identical daughter cells.
• Eukaryotic cells: Reproduce through mitosis (for somatic cells) or meiosis (for reproductive cells), processes that involve the division and distribution of chromosomes to daughter cells.

Genetic Material:

• Prokaryotic cells: Typically have a single circular chromosome composed of DNA. They may also contain small, circular pieces of DNA called plasmids.
• Eukaryotic cells: Have multiple linear chromosomes composed of DNA, which are located within the nucleus. Eukaryotic cells may also contain extranuclear DNA in organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus, whereas, a eukaryotic cell does.

Prokaryotic cells are typically smaller, whereas, a eukaryotic cell is larger.

Prokaryotic cells contain only singular chromosomes, whereas, a eukaryotic cell can contain more than one.

Prokaryotic cells do not have certain organelles such as mitochondria or chloroplast, whereas, a eukaryotic cell can.

The biggest difference is that a eukaryotic cell (plant/animal/fungus) cell has a nucleus, whereas a prokaryotic (bacterial) cell does not. Prokaryotic genetic material floats freely in the cell cytoplasm.

Aside from that, here are some other key differences:

• Edivide by mitosis (meiosis in gametes), prokaryotes divide by binary fission
• Eukaryotes are 5μm - 100μm, prokaryotes are much smaller (0.2-2μm)
• Prokaryotes don't contain mitochondria or chloroplasts
• 
  

Key differences between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells are:

The cells are much smaller.

No membrane bound-organelles

Smaller ribosomes

No nucleus

A cell wall made of murein

Differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells:

DNA

Prokaryotic cells:

• shorter
• found in cytoplasm
• found in a single loop and plasmids

Eukaryotic cells:

• Longer DNA
• found in the nucleus
• Found in an alpha helix shape

Structural differences

• Eukaryotes have organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts whereas Prokaryotes do not
• Some Prokaryotes contain flagellum and a slime capsule whereas Eukaryotes do not.
• Prokaryotes undergo binary fission in order to divide whereas Eukaryotes undergo mitosis or meiosis

Hi,

At GCSE you need to know that: Eukaryotic cells have membrane bound organelles, and have their DNA within a nucleus. Prokaryotic cells do not have membrane bound organelles and have their DNA in the cytoplasm, for example a bacterium cell.

There are many differences between these two.

Firstly Prokaryotic cells are cells that do not have any encapsulated organelles. This means it has no nucleus or mitochondria. Instead of having a nucleus, all of the genetic material are found as strands of chromosomes or loops of plasmid. An example would be bacteria.

Eukaryotic cells are cells that do have a nucleus and therefore the DNA is stored there. Examples are Animal and Plant cells.

Cellular Organization:

• Prokaryotic cells: These are simpler in structure and lack membrane-bound organelles. Their genetic material is found in a region called the nucleoid, which is not enclosed by a membrane. They also lack other membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus.
• Eukaryotic cells: These are more complex and have membrane-bound organelles including a well-defined nucleus where the genetic material (DNA) is contained within a membrane-bound nucleus. They possess various organelles such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, and chloroplasts (in plants).

Size:

• Prokaryotic cells: Generally smaller, typically ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 micrometers in diameter.
• Eukaryotic cells: Generally larger, ranging from 10 to 100 micrometers in diameter.

Genetic Material:

• Prokaryotic cells: Have a single, circular chromosome composed of DNA, found in the nucleoid region. They may also contain plasmids, small circular DNA molecules.
• Eukaryotic cells: Have multiple linear chromosomes composed of DNA, contained within the nucleus. They do not typically contain plasmids.

Ribosomes:

• Prokaryotic cells: Have smaller ribosomes (70S) consisting of a 50S and a 30S subunit.
• Eukaryotic cells: Have larger ribosomes (80S) consisting of a 60S and a 40S subunit.

Cell Division:

• Prokaryotic cells: Reproduce through binary fission, a simpler form of cell division where the cell divides into two identical daughter cells.
• Eukaryotic cells: Reproduce through mitosis (for somatic cells) or meiosis (for reproductive cells), involving complex processes of cell division with multiple stages.

Cytoplasmic Structures:

• Prokaryotic cells: Lack membrane-bound organelles. They may contain ribosomes, a cell wall (in bacteria), flagella, and pili.
• Eukaryotic cells: Contain various membrane-bound organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, lysosomes, and chloroplasts (in plants).

Examples:

• Prokaryotic cells: Bacteria and archaea.
• Eukaryotic cells: Protists, fungi, plants, and animals.

Prokaryotic: unicellular, contain a cell wall, have no mitochondria or chloroplasts, no nucleus so DNA is free in the cytoplasm (plasmids in bacteria) cell division is binary fission

examples : fungi and bacteria

eukaryotic: multicellular, no cell wall only cell membrane, contain mitochondria and chloroplasts in plant cells, DNA enclosed in a nucleus, cell division is mitosis

examples: plant cells, animal cells

So 1st to remember the difference, I say to word eukaryotic the beginning sounds like you so I think okay what am I, technically a form of ‘animal’ with ‘animal cells’ so I think okay animal cells, and connect it to plant cells etc, that’s the basic of it. Then I automatically know okay so prokaryotic cells are the non-membrane bounded ones: bacteria fungi etc.

DIFFERENCES (BASIC TERMS):

Eukaryotic:

• Membrane bound nucleus + organelles
• Cell wall made of cellulose
• Larger ribosomes
• Cell division by mitosis

Prokaryotic:

• Not membrane bound
• Cell wall made of chitin
• Smaller ribosomes
• Cell divisions by binary fission

The trick lies in the words themselves. Karyon in Greek means kernel, and in this case it is the nucleus. Prokaryotic organisms do not have a nucleus and tend to be simpler, more primitive (e.g., bacteria are prokaryotes. Eukaryotic organisms have a nucleus and tend to be more complex (e.g., animals and plants). Prokaryotic cells also do not have membrane-bound organelles (e.g., mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, etc) while eukaryotic cells do. Prokaryotic organisms have a cell wall and go through binary fission when replicating, while eukaryotic organisms typically have cell membranes (plant cells have cell walls but animal cells don't) and replicate by mitosis.

membrane bound organelles, including the nucleus are only present in eukaryotic cells

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differ in several fundamental ways, primarily based on their structure, complexity, and types of organisms they constitute:

1. Nucleus

• Prokaryotic cells: Lack a true nucleus. Their genetic material is free-floating within the cell in a region called the nucleoid.
• Eukaryotic cells: Have a well-defined, membrane-bound nucleus where genetic material is enclosed.

2. Organelles

• Prokaryotic cells: Do not have membrane-bound organelles. All cellular processes occur within the cytoplasm or at the cell membrane.
• Eukaryotic cells: Contain numerous membrane-bound organelles, such as the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and (in plant cells) chloroplasts, allowing compartmentalization of functions.

3. Cell Size

• Prokaryotic cells: Generally smaller (0.1–5 µm in diameter) and simpler.
• Eukaryotic cells: Typically larger (10–100 µm in diameter) and more complex.

4. Genetic Material

• Prokaryotic cells: Contain a single, circular DNA molecule without histones (except in some Archaea) and often have plasmids (small, circular DNA molecules).
• Eukaryotic cells: Possess multiple linear chromosomes wrapped around histone proteins.

5. Cell Division

• Prokaryotic cells: Reproduce through binary fission, a simpler, faster process.
• Eukaryotic cells: Divide by mitosis (for somatic cells) or meiosis (for reproductive cells), which are more complex processes involving spindle fibers and stages like prophase, metaphase, etc.

6. Cell Wall

• Prokaryotic cells: Most have a rigid cell wall (made of peptidoglycan in bacteria).
• Eukaryotic cells: Some have a cell wall (e.g., plant and fungal cells), but its composition differs (cellulose in plants, chitin in fungi). Animal cells lack a cell wall.

7. Ribosomes

• Prokaryotic cells: Have smaller ribosomes (70S type).
• Eukaryotic cells: Contain larger ribosomes (80S type) in the cytoplasm, with 70S ribosomes found in mitochondria and chloroplasts.

8. Examples

• Prokaryotic cells: Bacteria and Archaea.
• Eukaryotic cells: Animals, plants, fungi, and protists.

These distinctions allow prokaryotes to be highly adaptable and versatile, while eukaryotes can achieve greater complexity and specialization.