2. Cells - Prokaryotic Cells And Viruses (including Difference Between Prokaryotic And Eukaryotic Cells) Flashcards
What is the difference regarding the nucleus in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Eukaryotic cells have a distinct nucleus whereas prokaryotic cells have no true nucleus, only an area where DNA is found.
What are the 2 differences between DNA in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?
1) In prokaryotes, DNA is not associated with proteins called histones, but DNA in eukaryotic cells is
2) In prokaryotic cells, some DNA may be in the form of circular strands called plasmids, in eukaryotic cells there are no plasmids and DNA is linear
What are 3 differences between organelles in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?
1) Eukaryotic cells have membrane-bound organelles, prokaryotic cells have no membrane-bound organelles
2) Chloroplasts are present in plants and algae (eukaryotic cells), no chloroplasts in prokaryotic cells
3) Ribosomes are smaller in prokaryotic cells (70S), whereas ribosomes are larger in eukaryotic cells (80S)
What are 2 structural differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
1) In prokaryotic cells, cell wall is made of murein (peptidoglycan), in eukaryotic cells it’s mostly made of cellulose (or chitin in fungi)
2) Prokaryotic cells have have an outer mucilaginous layer called a capsule, eukaryotic cells have no capsule
What form is the genetic material in bacteria?
Genetic material is in the form of a circular strand of DNA. Separate from these are smaller circular pieces of DNA, called plasmids.
Give a basic description of the structure of a virus:
They contain nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA, which is enclosed within a protein coat called the capsid. Some viruses are further surrounded by a lipid envelope, and either this, or the capsid (if lipid envelope is not present), have attachment proteins.
What is the purpose of attachment proteins in a virus?
They are essential to allow the virus to identify and attach to a host cell.
