by Bridger Tjornehoj

Prokaryotic cells (prokaryotes) are bacteria and virus, meaning they don’t have a nucleus unlike eukaryotes which do.

So you may be wondering how they do get their genetic material and DNA and others without a nucleus, but they have a similar organelle called the nucleoid. The nucleoid has a roughly the same function as the nucleus but does not have a bound membrane which the nucleus does have. Also the nucleoid only has one chromosome while the nucleus has many.

The capsule is important to a cell because it helps grab onto matter around it and each other for a colony to form. It also helps the cell keep hydrated at dry times.

Pilus are hair looking organelles that help cling onto matter around it to help with binary fission like the capsule.

Flagellas are similar to tails and are located at the back of the cell to move it forward and backward and range from about one to 7 depending on the species.

Prokaryotes are more simple than eukaryotes so have less organelles than ours, but are definitely still very cool. Prokaryotes still have a lot of organelles that you have like cytoplasm, cell membrane, chromosomes and ribosomes so they are still not mega different from ours.

Bacteria cell without flagella and pilu.