A2.2.5

• Bacteria are prokaryotic. Plants, animals, fungi and others are eukaryotic.
• The key feature of eukaryotic cells it the nucleus which contains chromosomes. Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus.
• All cells have a plasma membrane, some cells also have a cell wall (prokaryotes as well). The cell wall is thicker and stronger than the membrane and protects the cell, maintains its shape and supports the plasma membrane.
• The interior of a prokaryote is filled entirely with cytoplasm, which is not divided into compartments but is one uninterrupted chamber.
• Prokaryotes do not have cytoplasmic organelles apart form ribosomes. Prokaryotic ribosomes are smaller (70S) than eukaryotic (80S).
• The nucleoid contains the DNA of a prokaryote and appears lighter on a microscope image.