PROKARYOTIC CELL

Prokaryotic cell

simple organisms possessing cells that are smaller in size with simple internal structures, they reproduce very fast, and they are the first kind of cell to develop about 3.5 billion years ago

Pro and karyon

"before" and “nut” (relating to having a nucleus)

Bacteria, blue-green algae, and archaea (bacteria living in extreme environments)

prokaryotic cell examples

Plasma membrane (cell membrane)

a semipermeable membrane responsible for the prokaryote to allow waste products to pass through while preventing the diffusion of essential products to the external environment

Cell wall

a rigid wall responsible for maintaining its shape, especially when the cell is exposed to high water influx

Capsule

acts as a protective layer made up of polysaccharides (sugars) lying outside the cell wall

Nucleoid region

since a prokaryotic cell lacks a distinct nucleus, it still possesses an irregular-shaped region where it stores its genetic material in the form of DNA

Cytoplasm

not organized into distinct interior compartments, it is a gel-like interior enclosed by the plasma membrane

Ribosomes

small structures where proteins are made

Plasmid

an independent circular DNA structure apart from the chromosomal DNA, provides bacteria with some genetic advantages such as antibacterial resistance

Flagellum

a tail-like appendage for locomotion, propels bacteria in 360 degrees rotation, moving back and forth (whiplike), seen at the end part of the prokaryotic cell or randomly scattered over its surface

Fimbriae

additional smaller and bristle-like fibers that grow over the cell's surface and help the bacteria attach themselves to things

Conjugation pili (s pill)

tubular structures present on the cell surface, function for cell-to-cell communication as well as to pass DNA from one bacterium to another

Hook

thickest part of the flagellum

Gram-positive bacteria

turns purple

Gram-negative bacteria

turns pink

Gram-positive bacteria examples

Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Clostridium species

Gram-negative bacteria examples

Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, and Cholera