prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Bacteria cell wall composition

Peptidoglycan

Fungi cell wall composition

Chitin

Parasitic infections

Eukaryotic and share some cellular structures with human cells, making it difficult to develop drugs that selectively target the parasite.

Cancer treatment

Cancer cells are eukaryotic but exhibit abnormal cell division and structural characteristics. some drugs target specific structures in cancer cells.

Why don't antibiotics harm human cells

Human cells have 80s ribosomes with a different structure, so antibiotics don't recognize or bind to them effectively.

Structural specificity of antibiotics

Antibiotics can selectively inhibit bacterial cells without harming eukaryotic cells.

Antibiotics targeting ribosomes

Antibiotics can selectively bind to bacterial ribosomes without affecting eukaryotic ribosomes.

Prokaryotes DNA structure

Generally circular, single chromosome.

Eukaryotes DNA structure

Multiple linear chromosomes within nucleus.

Prokaryotes membrane bound organelles

Absent.

Eukaryotes membrane bound organelles

Present.

Prokaryotes cell division

Binary fission.

Eukaryotes cell division

Mitosis and meiosis.

Prokaryotes size

1-10um.

Eukaryotes size

10-100um.

Prokaryotes metabolic diversity

High, including extremophiles.

Eukaryotes metabolic diversity

Limited; autotrophic or heterotrophic.

Prokaryotes cell wall composition

Common; peptidoglycan in bacteria.

Eukaryotes cell wall composition

Variable; cellulose in plants, chitin in fungi.

Prokaryotes nucleus

No nucleus. DNA in nucleoid region.

Eukaryotes nucleus

True nucleus with a nuclear membrane.

Prokaryotes ribosome size

Smaller (70s).

Eukaryotes ribosome size

Larger (80s in cytoplasm, 70s in mitochondria/chloroplasts).

Prokaryotes plasmids

Often present, used in horizontal gene transfer.

Eukaryotes plasmids

Rare, typically absent.

Example organisms of prokaryotes

Bacteria, archaea.

Example organisms of eukaryotes

Plants, animals, fungi.

vertical gene transfer

the transfer of genetic information, including any genetic mutations, from a parent to its offspring

horizontal gene transfer

the movement of genetic information across normal mating barriers, between more or less distantly related organisms

autophagy

A process by which a cell breaks down and destroys old, damaged, or abnormal proteins and other substances in its cytoplasm