DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROKARYOTES AND EUKARYOTES

PROKARYOTES:

1. Cell is small in size (0.1 to 5 μm)
2. Cell wall is made of non cellulosic material. They generally contain muramic acid (amino acid derivative-peptidoglycan).
3. Mucopolysaccharide capsule is present in many cells.
4. Cell membranes infolds to form mesosomes that controls cellular respiration and cell division.
5. An organized nucleus is absent. Here chromatin network is in direct contact with cytoplasm. It is called nucleoid / genophore.
6. Mostly prokaryotes have multiple nucleoids.
7. DNA is circular and naked.
8. Usually polycistronic DNA is present.
9. Only one kind of RNA polymerase is present.
10. Both transcription and translocation occurs in the cytoplasm.
11. Generally extranuclear chromosomes are present either in the form of plasmid or episome.
12. Ribosome is 70S (50S + 30S)
13. Protein synthesis is inhibited by chloramphenicol.
14. Cytoplasm lacks membrane bound organelles.
15. Flagella if present is mad up of single stranded protein, flagellin.
16. Microfilaments - Actin and Myosin are absent.
17. Sap vacuoles are absent instead they have gas vacuoles.
18. Cytoplasm does not show streaming movement.
19. Respiratory enzymes are associated with plasma membrane and mesosomes.
20. Cardiolipin lipid is present.
21. Endo and exocytosis are absent.
22. They divide by amitosis or simple fission.
23. Centriole is absent.
24. No spindle formation occurs during division.
25. e.g. Bacteria, blue green algae (Cyanobacteria), Mycoplasma (PPLO).

EUKARYOTES:

1. Cell size and volume depend on the activities performed by it (5 - 100 μm).
2. Cellulosic cell wall is present only in plant cells.
3. Capsule is absent.
4. Mesosome is absent.
5. Well organized nucleus is present.
6. Mononucleate condition is more common.
7. DNA is linear and is covered by histonic protein (except in mitochondria and plastid).
8. Monocistronic DNA is more common.
9. Three kinds of RNA polymerase are present. One for each - rRNA, mRNA, tRNA.
10. Transcription occurs in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm.
11. Extranuclear chromosome are absent.
12. Ribosome is 80S (60S + 40S).
13. Protein synthesis is inhibited by cyclohexamide.
14. All organelles are present.
15. Cilia and flagella show characteristic 9+2 arrangement of microtubule and are made up of protein tubulin.
16. Microfilaments are present.
17. True sap vacuoles are common in plant cells.
18. Streaming movement/cyclosis is a common characteristic of cytoplasm.
19. Respiratory enzymes are present in the cytoplasm and mitochondria.
20. Cardiolipin lipid is absent.
21. Endo and exocytosis are present.
22. They divide by mitosis and meiosis.
23. Centriole is absent in animal cell and absent in plant cell.
24. Spindle formation occurs during division.
25. e.g. Algae, protistans, metazoans and plants.

Plant cell is a eukaryotic cell and bacterial cell is a prokaryotic cell