Bacteria and Archaea Cells: Key Differences Explained
What are the main differences between bacteria and archaea cells?
A) Archaea cells contain small membrane-enclosed organelles; bacteria do not.
B) Archaea cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus; bacteria do not.
C) DNA is present in both archaea cells and bacteria cells.
D) DNA is present in the mitochondria of both bacteria and archaea cells.
Answer:
The correct answer is C) DNA is present in both archaea cells and bacteria cells.
The correct statement concerning archaea cells and bacteria cells is: C) DNA is present in both archaea cells and bacteria cells. Both are types of prokaryotes, meaning they lack a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. Instead, they have a single circular chromosome of DNA located in the nucleoid region of the cell.
While their cellular structures are often quite similar, including components like a cell wall, cell membrane, nucleoid region, ribosomes, and sometimes additional structures such as capsules, flagella, and pili, there are key differences in the chemical composition of these parts. For instance, bacterial cell walls contain peptidoglycan, whereas archaeal cell walls do not.
Additionally, the plasma membrane lipids of bacteria are composed of fatty acids, while the plasma membrane lipids of archaea are made up of phytanyl groups.