Prokaryotes vs EukaryotesHESI A2 cheat sheet

The fundamental split

10 key facts 1 practice questions Reviewed Oct 2026

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Prokaryote

No nucleus, no membrane-bound organelles
DNA is a single circular loop in the cytoplasm
Bacteria and archaea; smaller, simpler
Reproduce by binary fission

Eukaryote

True nucleus and membrane-bound organelles
Linear chromosomes
Animals, plants, fungi, protists
Divide by mitosis or meiosis

Shared

Both have a cell membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes and DNA

Size

Prokaryotes are roughly 10× smaller

Key takeaway

The fundamental split

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Bacteria are classified as ____ because they lack a true nucleus.

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