Introduction of Eukaryotic Cell And Prokaryotic Cell
The term “prokaryote” is derived from the Greek word “pro“, (meaning: before) and “karyon” (meaning: kernel). It translates to “before nuclei.“ Prokaryotes are one of the most ancient groups of living organisms on earth, with fossil records dating back to almost 3.5 billion years ago.
The term “Eukaryotes” is derived from the Greek word “eu“, (meaning: good) and “karyon” (meaning: kernel), therefore, translating to “good or true nuclei.” They include almost all the major kingdoms except kingdom monera (Kingdom Monera belongs to the prokaryote family).
Difference between Eukaryotic Cell And Prokaryotic Cell are discussed below:
- Prokaryotic cells are primitive cells mainly found in unicellular organisms, and they do not contain 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 contain nucleus and membrane bound organelles.
- Plant and animal cells are not the only types of eukaryotic cells. Protists and fungi are two other types of eukaryotic organisms. Examples of protists include algae, euglena, and amoebas. Examples of fungi include mushrooms, yeasts, and molds.
- Eukaryotic cells are more complex and larger than prokaryotic cells.
- Animal and plant cells contain many organelles not found in prokaryotic cells.
- Prokaryotes have no true nucleus as the DNA is not contained within a membrane, but is coiled up in a region of the cytoplasm called the nucleoid.
- While animal and plant cells reproduce by mitosis or meiosis, prokaryotes propagate most commonly by binary fission.
List of difference between Eukaryotic Cell And Prokaryotic Cell are tabulated below :
| Prokaryotes | Eukaryotes | |
| Type of Cell | Always unicellular | Unicellular or multi-cellular |
| Cell size | Ranges in size from 0.2 μm – 2.0 μm in diameter | Size ranges from 10 μm – 100 μm in diameter |
| Cell wall | Usually present; chemically complex in nature | cell walls very rarely, if present they have chemically simple in nature |
| Nucleus | Absent. Instead, they have a nucleoid region in the cell | Present |
| Ribosomes | Present. Smaller in size and spherical in shape | Present. Comparatively larger in size and linear in shape |
| DNA arrangement | Circular | Linear |
| Mitochondria | Absent | Present |
| Cytoplasm | Present, but cell organelles absent | Both cytoplasm and cell organelles are present |
| Endoplasmic reticulum | Absent | Present |
| Plasmids | Present | Very rarely found in eukaryotes |
| Ribosome | Small ribosomes and spherical in shape | Large ribosomes and linear in shape |
| Lysosome | Lysosomes and centrosomes are absent | Lysosomes and centrosomes are present |
| Cell division | Through binary fission | Through mitosis |
| Flagella | The flagella are smaller in size | The flagella are larger in size |
| Reproduction | Asexual | Both asexual and sexual |
| Example | Bacteria and Archaea | Plant and Animal cell |
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