BRAINCAKEProkaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells
In Eukaryotes, linear DNA exists as many chromosomes associated with histone proteins (chromatin) in the nucleus which is enclosed by the nuclear envelope.
In Prokaryotes, a circular loop of DNA is free in the cytoplasm, folded and condensed by non-histone proteins.
Prokaryotes have small, circular loops of extra-chromosomal DNA in the cytoplasm called plasmids.
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Key terms in this lesson
- chromatin
- DNA loosely wound around histone proteins, found in the nucleus when the cell is not dividing.
- ribosome
- A small organelle, made of RNA and protein, that is the site of protein synthesis.
- prokaryotic cell
- A cell, such as a bacterium, that lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles and has a single loop of circular DNA.
More in Cell Structure
- Vacuoles
- Cell Structure and Function
- Cell Specialisation
- Tissues
- Organs
- Organ Systems
- Prokaryotic Cell Structure
- Viruses
All 26 lessons in Cell Structure · All AQA AS-level Biology topics