Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells they are cell types that are differentiated, among other characteristics, by the presence or absence of a nucleus. while the prokaryotic cells do not have genetic material involved by nuclear envelope, the eukaryotic have a core well defined.
Eukaryotics are found in most living things, such as fungi, protozoa, animals and plants. Prokaryotic cells are found only in bacteria, cyanobacteria and archaea.
Read too: Animal and Plant Cells — Characteristics and Differences
General characteristics of cells
It is very common to hear that cells have three basic parts: plasma membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus. This statement, however, is not correct. Bacterial cells, for example, have genetic material distributed in the cytoplasm, without being organized in a defined nucleus. We can therefore conclude that all cell types have a plasma membrane, cytoplasm and genetic material, which may or may not be organized in the nucleus.
THE plasma membrane, regardless of the cell type in question, it consists of a double layer of phospholipids, with various proteins embedded in or attached to it. It acts as a selective barrier, selecting what enters and what leaves the cell. Due to this ability, we say that the plasma membrane presents selective permeability.
O cytoplasm, in turn, it concerns the cell interior. In those cells that have a nucleus, the cytoplasm corresponds to the region between the nucleus and the plasma membrane. In the cytoplasm, several chemical reactions take place and it is also in this place that we find, in eukaryotic cells, the so-called cell organelles.
As examples of cell organelles, we can mention:
mitochondria (responsible for the cellular respiration process);
chloroplast (place where the photosynthesis in plant cells);
smooth endoplasmic reticulum (involved with the production of lipids and detoxification);
rough endoplasmic reticulum (related to the production of proteins);
golgiense complex (involved with cell secretion);
lysosome (organelle that acts on intracellular digestion).
You ribosomes they are cellular structures present in the cytoplasm of all cell types. They are responsible for carrying out protein synthesis and are not considered organelles by many authors, due to the absence of membranes. Some authors refer to these structures as non-membranous organelles. To learn more about organelles, read: Cell organelles.
prokaryotic cells
the tprokaryotic wilderness comes from greekpro, which means before, and karyon, which means core, a reference to the core. A prokaryotic cell would thus be a cell that appeared “before the nucleus”.
In these cells, the presence of dispersed genetic material, this dispersion being the result of the absence of the nuclear envelope, which delimits the nucleus in other cells. The place where genetic material is located in this type of cell is called a nucleoid.
In addition to the absence of caryotheca, prokaryotic cells do not have cell organelles membranous, such as mitochondria, plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, and the golgiense complex. It is important to note that they have ribosomes, and these are much smaller than those found in other cells. Prokaryotic cells are usually small. Bacterial cells, for example, are between 1 µm and 5 µm in diameter.
eukaryotic cells
The term eukaryotic comes from the Greek me, which means true, and karyon, which means core, a reference to the core. At cells that have a nucleus delimited bythe nuclear envelope they are therefore called eukaryotic and are much more complex than prokaryotic cells.
In this kind of cell, we find a very individualized nucleus and cell organelles. Ribosomes, as in prokaryotic cells, are also present. Generally speaking, eukaryotic cells areare larger than prokaryotic cells, having between 10 µm and 100 µm in diameter.
Read too: Stem cells — cells that play an important role in our bodies
Differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells show some basic differences.
Eukaryotic cells have most of their genetic material surrounded by a double membrane, called the nuclear envelope. In prokaryotic cells, in turn, the genetic material is not involved by the envelope, being concentrated in a region called the nucleoid.
Prokaryotic cells do not have cell organelles, unlike eukaryotic cells.
Eukaryotic cells, in general, are larger than prokaryotic cells.
