BIOLOGY Volume 1 - A Guide to General Biology - 2004
5. CELLS
5.3. Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
In Chapter 2 we already discussed the Two Types of Cells—prokaryotic and eukaryotic—which differ fundamentally. In Prokaryotic Cells, DNA lies freely in the Cytoplasm in a region called the nucleoid; this is not a true Nucleus. In Eukaryotic cells, DNA is housed within a nucleus bounded by a nuclear envelope consisting of two membranes. Combined with protein, DNA forms Chromosomes. The differences between prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells are discussed in more detail in Chapter 2 (Table 2.2 and Section 2.3).
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