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Questions and Answers
What is the primary function of the cytoskeleton in a cell?
Which type of cell is characterized by the presence of a nucleus?
What is the function of the cell membrane?
What is the fluid that occupies the space inside the cell?
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What is the role of ribosomes in a cell?
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Which type of cell is characterized by the presence of DNA in a nucleoid region?
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What is the term for the specialized structures found in eukaryotic cells that carry out specific functions?
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What is the primary function of the nucleus in a eukaryotic cell?
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What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes prokaryotic cells from eukaryotic cells?
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What is the shape of the DNA molecule in prokaryotic cells?
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What is the function of the nucleoid region in prokaryotic cells?
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What is the main difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells in terms of their size?
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What is the term for the layer outside the cell membrane that provides rigid structural support?
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What is the function of flagella in prokaryotic and some eukaryotic cells?
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Which of the following is an example of a single-celled eukaryotic organism?
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What is the term for the component of the cell membrane that is made up of a phospholipid bilayer?
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What is the primary reason why prokaryotes were the first cells to appear on Earth?
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What is the main difference between the nucleoid region and the nucleus?
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Which of the following is a characteristic shared by all eukaryotic cells?
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What is the main function of the phospholipid bilayer in the cell membrane?
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Which of the following cells would most likely have a flagellum?
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What is the primary reason why eukaryotic cells are generally larger than prokaryotic cells?
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Which of the following is a characteristic unique to prokaryotic cells?
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What is the primary difference between archaea and bacteria?
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Study Notes
Cell Characteristics
- Despite diversity in structure and function, all cells share certain characteristics.
Cell Types
- There are two main types of cells: prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
- Prokaryotes are small, simple cells that make up single-celled organisms, with bacteria being the most prevalent type.
- Eukaryotes are larger, more complex cells that are often multicellular organisms, including plants, animals, and fungi.
Common Cell Features
- All cells have a cell membrane that provides a barrier between the interior and exterior of the cell and regulates the flow of substances in and out of the cell.
- All cells have cytoplasm, the fluid that occupies the space inside the cell, where chemical reactions that enable life take place.
- All cells have a cytoskeleton, a network of filaments that provide support and a framework for the cell to move things around in the cytoplasm.
- All cells contain DNA, which contains the instructions for synthesizing all the cell's proteins, at some point in their life cycle.
- All cells contain ribosomes, the molecular machines that use the instructions contained in the DNA to build all the proteins needed by the cell.
Eukaryotic Cell Features
- Eukaryotic cells are more complex and have specialized structures called organelles.
- Organelles have their own membrane to partition them off from the rest of the cell and to allow them to specialize in a certain function.
- An important example of an organelle is a nucleus, a specialized compartment found in eukaryotic cells for holding DNA.
Prokaryotic Cell Features
- Prokaryotic cells have DNA, but it is localized to one area of the cell, the nucleoid region.
- The nucleoid region is not surrounded by a membrane and is therefore not a nucleus.
- Only eukaryotic cells have a nucleus.
Cell Classification
- Cells on Earth are categorized into two groups: prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells.
Prokaryotic Cells
- Prokaryotes were the first cells to appear on the planet.
- All prokaryotes are single-celled.
- Examples of prokaryotes include bacteria and archaea.
- Prokaryotes are smaller cells that lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
- DNA in prokaryote cells is circular, looping around itself like a rubber band, and found in the nucleoid region.
Eukaryotic Cells
- Eukaryotic cells emerged 1.5 billion years after prokaryotes.
- The main difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is the presence of a central control structure, the nucleus, where DNA is housed.
- Examples of eukaryotes include plants, animals, and fungi.
- Eukaryotic cells can be part of multicellular organisms or single-celled organisms.
- DNA in eukaryotic cells is linear, with ends, like a piece of spaghetti.
Common Cell Structures
- All cells have a cell membrane, which surrounds and defines the inner environment of the cell.
- The cell membrane is composed of a phospholipid bilayer with proteins and additional components.
- All cells also have ribosomes and cytoplasm.
Additional Cell Structures
- Some prokaryotes and eukaryotes have a protective cell wall, a rigid structural support outside the cell membrane.
- Some cells have external appendages, such as cilia and flagella, which help with movement.
- Flagella are long extensions that move back and forth to facilitate cell movement, as seen in sperm cells.
Cell Classification
- Cells on Earth are categorized into two groups: prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells.
Prokaryotic Cells
- Prokaryotes were the first cells to appear on the planet.
- All prokaryotes are single-celled.
- Examples of prokaryotes include bacteria and archaea.
- Prokaryotes are smaller cells that lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
- DNA in prokaryote cells is circular, looping around itself like a rubber band, and found in the nucleoid region.
Eukaryotic Cells
- Eukaryotic cells emerged 1.5 billion years after prokaryotes.
- The main difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is the presence of a central control structure, the nucleus, where DNA is housed.
- Examples of eukaryotes include plants, animals, and fungi.
- Eukaryotic cells can be part of multicellular organisms or single-celled organisms.
- DNA in eukaryotic cells is linear, with ends, like a piece of spaghetti.
Common Cell Structures
- All cells have a cell membrane, which surrounds and defines the inner environment of the cell.
- The cell membrane is composed of a phospholipid bilayer with proteins and additional components.
- All cells also have ribosomes and cytoplasm.
Additional Cell Structures
- Some prokaryotes and eukaryotes have a protective cell wall, a rigid structural support outside the cell membrane.
- Some cells have external appendages, such as cilia and flagella, which help with movement.
- Flagella are long extensions that move back and forth to facilitate cell movement, as seen in sperm cells.
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Description
Learn about the differences between prokaryote and eukaryote cells, including their structure, function, and examples of organisms that belong to each category.
