comparison between prokaryot and eukaryot cells

Comparison Between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Characteristic Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

Size of cell Typically 0.2-2.0 m m in diameter Typically 10-100 m m in diameter
Nucleus No nuclear membrane or nucleoli (nucleoid) True nucleus, consisting of nuclear membrane & nucleoli
Membrane-enclosed organelles Absent • Present
• examples include lysosomes, Golgi complex, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria & chloroplasts
Flagella Consist of two protein building blocks Complex; consist of multiple microtubules
Glycocalyx Present as a capsule or slime layer Present in some cells that lack a cell wall
Cell wall Usually present; chemically complex (typical bacterial cell wall includes peptidoglycan) When present, chemically simple
Plasma membrane No carbohydrates and generally lacks sterols Sterols and carbohydrates that serve as receptors present
Cytoplasm No cytosketeton or cytoplasmic streaming Cytoskeleton; cytoplasmic streaming
Ribosomes Smaller size (70S) Larger size (80S), in organelles
Chromosome (DNA) arrangement Single circular chromosome; lacks histones Multiple linear chromosomes with histones
Cell division Binary fission Mitosis
Sexual reproduction No meiosis; transfer of DNA fragments only (conjugation) Involves meiosis