prokaryote
/prəʊˈkarɪəʊt
/ /prəʊˈkarɪɒt/(also procaryote)
noun Biology
A microscopic single-celled organism which has neither a distinct nucleus with a membrane nor other specialized organelles, including the bacteria and cyanobacteria. Compare with eukaryote.These proteins are expressed by all organisms ranging from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes, including human cells....
- In a few organisms called prokaryotes, there is no defined nucleus and the DNA is found throughout the cell.
- The difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes is that eukaryotes have a nucleus, while prokaryotes do not.
Derivatives
prokaryotic
- The structural integrity of recombinant products generated by prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms is a major concern.
- This is a region of highest conservation, which consists of amino acids that are identical in both the prokaryotic and eukaryotic homologs.
- Several OYE homologues have been reported in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
Origin
1960s: from pro-2 'before' + Greek karuon 'nut, kernel' + -ote as in zygote.