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A prokaryote (/ p r oʊ ˈ k ær i oʊ t,-ə t /; less commonly spelled procaryote) [1] is a single-celled organism whose cell lacks a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. [2] The word prokaryote comes from the Ancient Greek πρό (pró), meaning 'before', and κάρυον (káruon), meaning 'nut' or 'kernel'. [3]
Bacterial cellular morphologies are the shapes that are characteristic of various types of bacteria and often key to their identification. Their direct examination under a light microscope enables the classification of these bacteria (and archaea). Generally, the basic morphologies are spheres (coccus) and round-ended cylinders or rod shaped ...
The prokaryotic cytoskeleton is the collective name for all structural filaments in prokaryotes. It was once thought that prokaryotic cells did not possess cytoskeletons , but advances in imaging technology and structure determination have shown the presence of filaments in these cells. [ 9 ]
Although probable prokaryotic cell fossils date to almost 3.5 billion years ago, most prokaryotes do not have distinctive morphologies, and fossil shapes cannot be used to identify them as archaea. [58] Instead, chemical fossils of unique lipids are more informative because such compounds do not occur in other organisms. [59]
Most prokaryotes are the smallest of all organisms, ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 μm in diameter. [1] [page needed] A prokaryotic cell has three regions: Enclosing the cell is the cell envelope, generally consisting of a plasma membrane covered by a cell wall which, for some bacteria, may be further covered by a third layer called a capsule.
[5] [6] Only the collaborative work of all three cytoskeletal systems enables proper cell mechanics. [7] [8] The long-lasting dogma that prokaryotes, based on their simple cell shapes, do not require cytoskeletal elements was finally abolished by the discovery of FtsZ, a prokaryotic tubulin homolog, [9] [10] [11] and MreB, a bacterial actin ...
A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and functioning of organisms. [3] Cell biology is the study of the structural and functional units of cells. Cell biology encompasses both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and has many subtopics which may include the study of cell metabolism , cell communication , cell cycle ...
The two-domain system is a biological classification by which all organisms in the tree of life are classified into two domains, Bacteria and Archaea. [1] [2] [3] It emerged from development of knowledge of archaea diversity and challenges the widely accepted three-domain system that classifies life into Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. [4]