Did you know that ALL Organisms can be categorised as either Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic?

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So, What do these names mean?

and What is  the main difference between a prokaryotic cell (bacteria) and a Eukaryotic cell (plant, animal, fungal cell)?

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What do the terms Prokaryote and Eukaryote mean?

Well 'Pro' means "before" and 'Kary' is from the Greek referring to 'Nut' ("meaning the nucleus of a cell looked a bit like a darkly stained nut").

So, Prokaryote means Before Nut, or more literally for our use in cell biology "Before Nucleus". This simply means that Prokaryotes DO NOT HAVE a (True) NUCLEUS.

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'Eu' means True. Which quite simply means that Eukaryotes have a TRUE 'Nut' - or Biologically speaking Eukaryotes have a TRUE NUCLEUS.

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So what is the main difference between a Prokaryotic cell and Eukaryotic cell?

Prokaryotes DO NOT have a 'True' Nucleus whereas 

Eukaryotes HAVE a True, well defined Nucleus.

Here are the important points you must state about Prokaryotes: -

• Are much smaller that Eukaryotic cells (0.5 - 10 µm)

• They DO NOT have a [true] nucleus – their DNA (nuclear/genetic material) floats free (NOT enclosed by a nucleus) within in the cytoplasm.

• Their nuclear material is circular DNA present as one long coiled-up strand.

• They Have Fewer Organelles (e.g. they don’t have mitochondria)

• Have smaller Ribosomes

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