Differences between Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Cells

Differences between Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Cells

Introduction

The present pattern of biological diversity and evolution focuses upon the prokaryotic/eukaryotic cell models. This posits that there exist two different kinds of cells; prokaryotic cells which are without nucleus particularly without the presence of the nuclear membrane and eukaryotic cells that have got a well bounded nucleus. It is said that the prokaryotic cells gave rise to the eukaryotic cells (Pace, 2006, p. 289).

An Overview: Comparing Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Chemically both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are similar in the sense that they both contain carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. The chemical reactions they use for making proteins, storing energy and digesting food all are same. The absence of certain specifically functioning organelles and changes in structure of cell wall and membranes is what that makes a prokaryotic cell different from an eukaryotic cell.

Source of image: http://www.bacterialphylogeny.com/eukaryotes.html

Prokaryotic Cells

A vast group of unicellular organisms belong to the world of prokaryotes. It includes bacteria and archae bacteria. Majority members of prokaryotic world are bacteria. Prokaryotes are defined as the cells lacking spliceosomal introns and spliceosomes, nucleus and mitochondria, But they do have transcriptionally covered translation (Martin and et.al, 2006, p.41-45). The major differentiating features of prokaryotes are:

1. DNA is usually a spirally arranged chromosome without a membrane. This DNA arrangement could be linear in some bacteria, and the number of chromosomes present could be two.

2. No association of DNA is observed with a protein called histone, specially found in eukaryotes. The DNA of prokaryotes relates to some other protein.

3. Membrane enclosed organelles are absent in prokaryotic cells.

4. Their cell walls have got polysaccharide peptidoglycan.

5. Reproduction is through binary fission. In this process, the DNA duplicates and the cell breaks down into two cells.

Eukaryotic cells

The ...