Lesson 2.

Prokaryotes and
Eukaryotes

General Biology 11/2

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
What type of house
would you prefer?
How can you describe a
“perfect” house?

2
Like the different types
of houses, different
organisms also have
varying types of cells.

3
These cells also contain
different structures that
all contribute to the
normal functions
necessary for life, just
like houses.
4
How can you differentiate a
prokaryotic cell from a
eukaryotic cell?

5
Learning Competency
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

Distinguish prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

according to their distinguishing features.
(STEM_BIO11/12-Ia-c-3).

6
 Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Describe prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

● Compare and contrast the features of prokaryotic

and eukaryotic cells.

7
 The Two Types of Cell

PROKARYOTES

● Bacteria
● Archaea

EUKARYOTES

● Plants, Animals, Fungi, Protists

8
 The Two Types of Cell

Prokaryotic Cell

• Pro means “before” and karyon

means “nut”
• Simple, unicellular cell
• Ave Size: 0.1-10µm
• No nucleus houses its genetic
material in an irregularly shaped
region called nucleoid
• No membrane-bound structures
• DNA Circular Overview of a prokaryotic cell
9
 The Two Types of Cell

Prokaryotic Cell

● Prokaryotic organisms
are metabolically
diverse because they
can utilize different
nutrients and energy
sources and they can
inhabit all types of
Overview of a prokaryotic cell
environment on Earth.
10
 The Two Types of Cell

Prokaryotic Cell
External Structures: Protection

Cell Wall Capsule

Extra layer of protection
Usually made of Aides the cell to
peptidoglycan attach to surfaces
Also provides shape and
rigidity

11
 The Two Types of Cell

Prokaryotic Cell
External Structures: Locomotion
Flagella
Whip-like structure
Pili for bacterial
motility
Commonly found in
bacteria; used to transfer Fimbriae
genetic material during
conjugation Shorter than Pili
that helps the cell
adhere to surfaces 12
 The Two Types of Cell

Eukaryotic Cell

• Eu means “true”
• Complex, unicellular/multicellular (most)
• Ave Size: 10-100µm
• Possess a nucleus
• Has membrane-bound organelles
allowing compartmentalization in the cell
• DNA Linear, contained in nucleus

13
 The Two Types of Cell

Eukaryotic Cell

● Domain Eukarya,
which includes
protists, fungi,
plants, and
animals, is
eukaryotic.

Overview of a eukaryotic cell

14
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Presence of Cell wall and cell

Nucleus membrane

Distinguishing Features
(cellular parts)

Endomembrane and
Ribosome
other organelles
15
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Presence of Nucleus

Cell wall and cell

membrane

Endomembrane and
other organelles

Ribosome The genetic material is enclosed in the nucleus of

eukaryotes and in the nucleoid region of
prokaryotes. 16
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Presence of Nucleus Cell wall Cell wall

of eukaryotes of prokaryotes

Cell wall and cell present in most eukaryotic

membrane cells (these are not found present in almost all
in animals and most prokaryotic cells
Endomembrane and protists)
other organelles
Cell wall is either made up
Cell wall is made up of
of cellulose as in plants
Ribosome peptidoglycan.
and chitin in fungi.
17
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Presence of Nucleus Cell membrane Cell membrane

of eukaryotes of prokaryotes

Cell wall and cell The sterols that are

They do not have sterols
membrane present in the cell
in the cell membrane but
membrane are
have a sterol-like lipid
Endomembrane and cholesterol (animals),
other organelles component called
phytosterol (plants) and
hopanoid.
ergosterol (fungi).
Ribosome

18
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Presence of Nucleus Endomembrane system

Cell wall and cell

● It includes the rough and smooth
membrane endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus,
lysosome, endosome, and vacuole.
Endomembrane and
other organelles
● It is present in eukaryotic cells, but not in
prokaryotic cells.
Ribosome

19
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Presence of Nucleus Ribosome Ribosome

of eukaryotes of prokaryotes

Cell wall and cell Ribosomes can be

membrane found in the cytoplasm,
outer nuclear
All ribosomes are found in
Endomembrane and membrane, rough
other organelles the cytoplasm.
endoplasmic reticulum,
mitochondrion, and
Ribosome chloroplast.

20
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Presence of Nucleus Ribosome Ribosome

of eukaryotes of prokaryotes

Cell wall and cell Eukaryotes have 80S

membrane ribosomes
Prokaryotes have 70S
(mitochondria, and
ribosomes.
Endomembrane and chloroplast contain 70S
other organelles ribosomes)

Ribosome

21
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Presence of Nucleus

Cell wall and cell

membrane

Endomembrane and
other organelles

Ribosome

22
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of Number of
Cell Size
DNA Chromosome

Other Distinguishing Features

Mode of DNA Transcription

Reproduction Replication and Translation
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of
chromosome
Chromosome number Chromosome number
Cell size in eukaryotes in prokaryotes

Mode of reproduction more than one linear one covalent, closed,

DNA with histone circular DNA
DNA replication

Transcription and
Translation
24
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of
chromosome

Cell size

Mode of reproduction

DNA replication

Transcription and
Translation In eukaryotes, the DNA is wrapped around
histones to form nucleosomes. 25
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA Chromosome

Chromosome number
Number of number
in eukaryotes
chromosome in prokaryotes

Cell size Eukaryotes have more

than one chromosome so Most prokaryotes have
Mode of reproduction histones are essential in only one chromosome
packaging DNA into and an
DNA replication nucleosomes and helping extrachromosomal DNA
Transcription and it to condense into called a plasmid.
Translation chromatin.
26
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of
chromosome

Cell size

Mode of reproduction

DNA replication

Transcription and
Translation Relative sizes of bacteria (prokaryote), plant
cell (eukaryote), and animal cell (eukaryote) 27
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of Mode of reproduction Mode of reproduction

chromosome in eukaryotes in prokaryotes
Cell size Most prokaryotic cells
In eukaryotic cells,
reproduce through
Mode of reproduction individual cells
binary fission and
reproduce through
some reproduce through
DNA replication mitosis and meiosis.
spores.
Transcription and
Translation
28
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of
chromosome

Cell size

Mode of reproduction

DNA replication

Transcription and
Translation
Eukaryotic cells undergoing mitosis 29
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of DNA replication DNA replication

chromosome in eukaryotes in prokaryotes
Cell size Eukaryotic cells have
DNA replication occurs in
multiple points of origin
Mode of reproduction two opposing directions
and use unidirectional
at the same time in the
replication within the
DNA replication cytoplasm.
nucleus.
Transcription and
Translation
30
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of DNA replication DNA replication

chromosome in eukaryotes in prokaryotes
Cell size Prokaryotic cells do not
Telomerase is involved
have telomeres so
Mode of reproduction in the replication of
telomerase is not
telomeres of the
present and involved in
DNA replication eukaryotic chromosome.
their DNA replication.
Transcription and
Translation
31
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of DNA replication DNA replication

chromosome in eukaryotes in prokaryotes
Cell size Eukaryotes only replicate
Prokaryotes
their DNA during the S-
Mode of reproduction continuously replicate
phase of interphase in
their short DNA.
cell division.
DNA replication

Transcription and
Translation
32
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of Transcription and Transcription and

chromosome translation translation
Cell size in eukaryotes in prokaryotes

The transcription occurs Transcription and

Mode of reproduction in the nucleus and the translation can be done
translation occurs in the at the same time in the
DNA replication
cytoplasm. cytoplasm.
Transcription and
Translation
33
 Distinguishing Features of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Shape of DNA

Number of
chromosome

Cell size

Mode of reproduction

DNA replication

Transcription and
Translation
34
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Cells are classified into two types: prokaryotic cell

and eukaryotic cell.
○ Prokaryotic cells are found in prokaryotic
organisms while eukaryotic cells are found in
eukaryotic organisms.
● Examples of prokaryotes are Archaeans and
Bacteria. Examples of eukaryotes are plants,
animals, fungi, and protists.
35
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells vary in terms of

presence of nucleus, endomembrane system, cell
wall and cell membrane, ribosome, shape of DNA
and number of chromosome, cell size, DNA
replication, transcription and translation, and mode
of reproduction.

36
 Photo Credit
● Mitosis_(261_13)_Pressed;_root_meristem_of_onion_(cell
s_in_prophase,_metaphase,_anaphase,_telophase)
Josef Reischig is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.
Bibliography
Blake, Leesa, and Donald I. Galbraith. McGraw-Hill Ryerson
Biology 11. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2002.
Campbell, Neil A. Biology (8th Edition), 2009.
Campbell, Neil A., Michael L. Cain, Peter V. Minorsky, Jane B.
Reece, Lisa A. Urry, and Steven Alexander
Wasserman. Biology: a Global Approach. Harlow, Essex,
by England: Pearson Education Limited, 2018.
Mader, Sylvia S. Concepts of Biology. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2011.
Madigan, Michael T., Kelly S. Bender, Daniel H. Buckley, W.
Matthew. Sattley, and David A. Stahl. Brock Biology of
Microorganisms. Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson
Education Limited, 2017.
Study.com. Study.com. Accessed February 4, 2020.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/eukaryotic-and-
prokaryotic-cells-similarities-and-differences.html.
37