"Eukaryotic vs. Prokaryotic Cells: A Scientific Exercise in Comparison/Contrast" by Latifa (Algeria)

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living organisms and the smallest as well. There are two types of cells: Eukaryotic, animal cells and prokaryotic, bacteria. The human body is full of eukaryotic cells, aggregated in tissues and specialized as well giving a large variety of organs and specialized as well giving a large variety of organs with a particular function. The prokaryotic cells particularly proliferate in group of cells that are usually named a colony. There exist some similarities and dissimilarities between these two kids of cells.

In fact, when pointing to the similarities, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic are living organisms. They share a membrane. A kind of protecting coat that envelopes the cell. The membrane separates the interior from the exterior and regulates what moves in and out, such as microscopic rubbish. Inside this membrane, we have a salty cytoplasm that makes up most of the cell volume. Cytoplasm is like a liquid where many internal organits are kept in place. It allows some specific movements of molecules from the central factory which is of course the nucleus to the frontier of the cell protected by the membrane. The last and also most important similarity is that both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells possess DNA, hereditary material of genes, and RNA, containing the information necessary to build various proteins, such as enzymes.

However, knowing that these two cells exist differently and evolve in different bio-environments, therefore, we can easily integrate the fact that they are dissimilar in some points. First of all, prokaryotic cells are usually independent, being that everyone cell provides its own nutrition supporting itself to survive and evolve in the environment. In contrast, the Eukaryotic cells are often found in multi-cellular organisms. They have to be part of an organ which is also involved in an organism giving us a whole functional structure. For example, cardiac cells build up the heart tissue structure which is involved in the human being organism. An eukaryotic cell put in bacterial environment will soon decline and die. Secondly, most prokaryotes have a rigid cell wall reinforcing their structure. This wall is particularly helpful regarding all the dangers the cell encounters in its hostile environment. Like toxins and viruses. In eukaryotic cells, we do have a cell wall exceptionally in plants. Another point is that the eukaryotic cells are about ten times the size of typical prokaryotes and can be as much as 1000 times greater in volume. The last and most important aspect that makes these two living worlds so dissimilar is in fact their DNA organization. The eukaryotic type is organized in one or more linear molecules called chromosomes. The chromosomal DNA is stored in the cell’s nucleus, separated from the cytoplasm by a membrane. However, prokaryotic chromosome is usually a circular internal molecule without a real membrane.

Evidences of dissimilarity between these two kinds of cells make studies among them more interesting and even more useful, especially because of the large variety of functionalities related to each one. Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are subject to numerous types of research in bimolecular laboratories throughout the world. The desire is to find out the equation of life that they still keep hidden somewhere between the nucleus and the structure of their microscopic bodies.