Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes:

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Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

• by Grier Sellers, M.S.
• Doctoral Candidate in Biology
• NSF GK12 Fellow
• Temple University

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Two Kinds of Cells

• Prokaryotic Cell
• - has DNA (usually circular) not surrounded by
  membranes
• - less complex, lacks most organelles
• - evolved first
• - has 70S ribosomes

• Eukaryotic Cell
• - has DNA enclosed in a nuclear membrane (when
  the DNA is enclosed in this way, we call it a
  nucleus)
• - more complex, has many organelles
• - evolved much later
• - has 80S ribosomes

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Prokaryotic (L) Eukaryotic (R) Cells Compared
(drawings not to scale) http//www.phschool.com/s
cience/biology_place/biocoach/cells/common.html
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TEM of Prokaryotic Cell (a bacterial cell
arrow points to base of flagellum)
http//www.soils.umn.edu/academics/classes/soil561
1/content/Cell_Structure/graphics.htm
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TEM of a Eukaryotic Cell (in this case, a plant
cell) http//www.umanitoba.ca/Biology/BIOL1020/la
b3/biolab3_1.html
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Two Kinds of Life

• Prokaryotes
• (organisms made of one or more prokaryotic cells)
• - Archaea (Archaebacteria)
• - Bacteria (Eubacteria)

• Eukaryotes
• (organisms made of one or more eukaryotic cells)
• - Protists
• - Animals
• - Fungi
• - Plants

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Prokaryotes SEMs of Archaea (L) Bacteria
(R)(http//plantphys.info/organismal/lechtml/arc
haea.shtml) (http//www.uga.edu/caur/semimage.htm)
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Eukaryotes Animal, Fungus, Plant, Protist
(clockwise from upper left)
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Image credits (for previous page)

• http//www.termitepestcontrolsydney.com.au/mosquit
  oes-pest-control-sydney.html
• http//www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/photo/fantas
  tic_fungi.html
• http//blog.legardemots.fr/public/rafflesia.jpgim
  grefurl
• http//www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag//imagsmall/amo
  ebafeeding3.jpgimgrefurl

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Acknowledgements

• Temple University
• Scientists as Teachers / Teachers as Scientists
  Program
• National Science Foundation GK12 Grant