EasyBiologyHigh School (9–10)GeneralDiversity of Living Organisms › Classification of Living OrganismsConceptual
What is the difference between a prokaryote and a eukaryote?
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
What is the difference between a prokaryote and a eukaryote? Give one example of each that is not in the lesson.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Classification sorts living things by the basic plan of the body, asked in order: a true nucleus or not, one cell or many, a cell wall or not, how food is got, and how the body is built.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Prokaryote. No true nucleus: the DNA lies free in the cytoplasm, and there are no organelles with a membrane. Example: Rhizobium, the bacterium in the root nodules of a pea plant.
Step 2. Eukaryote. A true nucleus, with a membrane around the DNA, and organelles with membranes. Example: a cell of a neem leaf.
Answer: a prokaryote has no true nucleus (Rhizobium); a eukaryote has one (a neem leaf cell).
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