Comparing Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
Despite their fundamental differences, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells share some basic features while differing dramatically in others. Both contain DNA, a cell membrane, and ribosomes, but their organization varies significantly.
Eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus enclosed by a membrane, while prokaryotes have DNA floating freely in the cytoplasm. Eukaryotic DNA is linear and associated with histone proteins, whereas prokaryotic DNA is circular. Prokaryotes may also contain small circular DNA called plasmids - a feature only found in some eukaryotic organelles.
The complexity of organelles differs greatly between these cell types. Eukaryotes contain membrane-bound organelles (mitochondria, ER, Golgi apparatus), while prokaryotes lack these. Their cell walls differ in composition too - peptidoglycan in prokaryotes versus cellulose or chitin in some eukaryotes. Even the ribosomes differ in size: smaller 70S ribosomes in prokaryotes compared to larger 80S in eukaryotes.
Big picture: The simpler structure of prokaryotes doesn't make them less successful! Their simplicity allows for rapid reproduction through binary fission, while eukaryotes' complexity enables specialization and multicellularity but requires more elaborate reproductive processes.