Differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

The above shows an Eukaryotic cell. It is called eukaryotic because it possesses a true nucleus. Eukaryotic cells are more complex than prokaryotic cells, and they have evolved from a prokaryote-like predecessor. Eukaryotic cells include animal cell, plant cells, fungi and protists cells. On the other hand, Prokaryotic cells have no nucleus, as shown below.

 

Prokaryotic cells include bacterial cells. There are several differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The main difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is the presence of a membrane-bound nucleus that separate DNA from the rest of the cell.

 

The purpose of the nucleus is to separate the DNA-related functions of the eukaryotic cell from the other activities in the cytoplasm. The ensures greater  efficiency for the different cell activities. However, since the prokaryotic cell is much smaller than the eukaryotic cell, this means that all materials within the cell are relatively close together and so separation of compartments with the membrane-bound nucleus is not necessary.

The table below shows the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. 

Prokaryotic cells	Eukaryotic cells
Unicellular	Multicellular
Smaller size <5micrometers	Bigger size > 10micrometers
Mitochondria absent	Mitochondria present
Chloroplasts absent	Chloroplasts present
Small ribosomes	Large ribosomes
Plasma membrane absent	Plasma membrane present
Nucleolus absent	Nucleolus present
One chromosomes	More than one chromosomes
Circular DNA, not associated with any proteins	Linear DNA-Protein complex called chromatin
Membrane-bound nucleus absent	Membrane-bound nucleus present
Chemically simpler cell wall	Usually chemically complex cell wall
Golgi apparatus absent	Golgi apparatus present
Endoplastic reticulum absent	Endoplasmic reticulum present
Lysosomes and peroxisomes absent	Lysosomes and peroxisomes present

 

The video below summarizes the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Enjoy the video!

 

References:

http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/prokeuk.htm

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Eukaryotic_Cell_vs_Prokaryotic_Cell 

http://www.suite101.com/content/prokaryotic-and-eukaryotic-cells-a32332

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68_0JLZzlR0