- Prokaryotes are the mostbasiclivingorganisms. These were the firstcells that appeared on Earth.
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- Animals and plants, along with other eukaryotes, have a nucleus where DNA is stored in the cell. Prokaryotesdonothaveamembraneābound<strong>nucleus</strong>, but they do have a general area in the cell where the DNA resides.
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- There are two basic types of prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea.
- Archaea are the moreancientgroup and, as a result, tend to liveinextremeenvironments ā salty lakes, the bottom of the ocean, and very hot environments.
- Bacteriaarefoundeverywhere ā in your body, on your skin, on practically every surface and place on Earth.
- Prokaryotes can be both helpful and harmful to other living organisms.
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Cell Theory
The Cell Theory applies to all living things and has three principles:
- EveryĀ living thing is made of cells.
- Cells come from existingcells.
- Cells are the basicĀ unit of structureandfunction.
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Structure
The function of a cell usually determines its structure.
- All cells must have a <strong>cellmembrane</strong>. Cell membranes surroundthecell and serve as a barriertotheoutsideenvironment.
- All cells must have <strong>geneticmaterial</strong> (DNA).
- All cells must have <strong>ribosomes</strong>. Ribosomes are used to produceproteins.
- All cells have <strong>cytoplasm</strong>. Cytoplasm fillsthefreespacesinthecell, holding the parts of a cell in place.
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Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic Cells
- Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus, unlike prokaryotic cells.
- Prokaryotes have a <strong>cellwall</strong> forprotection,keepingshape,andpreventingthecellfrombursting. Some eukaryotes have cell walls, but not all.
Common Shapes of Prokaryotic Cells
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Edited: 05 October 2022