Biology Quiz: Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are two types of cells with distinct differences in their structures. One key feature that sets them apart is the presence of a nucleoid in prokaryotic cells, which is not found in eukaryotic cells.
The nucleoid is a region in a prokaryotic cell that houses the main DNA material of the cell. In contrast to eukaryotic cells with a nucleus, prokaryotes have a nucleoid where the genetic material can be found. The nucleoid is different from the nucleus in eukaryotes in that the genetic material is not enclosed in a membrane to separate it from the cytoplasm.
The nucleoid usually contains only a single chromosome which has the cell DNA. This organization is simpler compared to the multiple chromosomes found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.