PROPERTY

PROKARYOTES

EUKARYOTES

NUCLEUS

Nuclear membrane

Absent

Present

Nucleolus

Absent

Present

Nuclear proteins

'Histone-like' proteins

Histone proteins

Chromosome number

Single

Multiple

Chromosome structure

Circular

Linear

CYTOPLASM

Compartmentalisation

Absent

Present

Cytoplasmic streaming

Absent

Present

Cytoskeleton

Mainly absent (except in Bacillus subtilis)

Present, consisting of microtubules and filaments

Pinocytosis

Absent

Present

Mitochondria

Absent

Present

Lysosome

Absent

Present

Golgi apparatus

Absent

Present

Endoplasmic reticulum

Absent

Present

Ribosomes

70 S, Free in cytoplasm

80 S, Both free in cytoplasm and attached to rough E.R.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Sterols

Usually absent

Present

Peptidoglycan

Present

Absent

Diaminopimelic acid

Present in some

Absent

CELL DIVISION

Binary fission

Mitosis