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Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells Notes for NEET 2026 | Easy Biology Revision

Difference Between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells: NEET Notes for Beginners

Educational diagram showing prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structures including flagella, pili, ribosomes, nucleus, chloroplasts, vacuoles and centrioles for NEET students.

Comparison of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells with key structures explained for NEET Biology preparation.


- Dr.Sanjaykumar Pawar 

Bacterial Cell Structures (Continuation)

  • Some bacterial membrane extensions help in:
    • Cell division (formation of daughter cells)
    • DNA replication and distribution
    • Respiration
    • Secretion processes
    • Increasing surface area of plasma membrane
    • Increasing enzyme content

Chromatophores (in some bacteria)

  • Found in cyanobacteria
  • They are membrane extensions inside cytoplasm
  • Contain photosynthetic pigments
  • Help in photosynthesis

Movement in Bacteria

  • Some bacteria are motile (can move)
  • Some are non-motile (cannot move)

Flagella

  • Long, thin, thread-like structures outside cell wall
  • Help in movement (motility)
  • Present only in motile bacteria

Structure of flagellum

  • Made of 3 parts:

    • Filament → longest outer part
    • Hook → connects filament to basal body
    • Basal body → anchors flagellum in cell

  • Number and arrangement of flagella vary in bacteria

Pili and Fimbriae

  • Both are surface structures of bacteria
  • Do NOT help in movement

Pili

  • Long, tubular protein structures
  • Help in attachment and sometimes DNA transfer

Fimbriae

  • Short, hair-like structures
  • Help bacteria attach to surfaces like:
    • Rocks in streams
    • Host tissues

Ribosomes in Prokaryotes

  • Present in cytoplasm, often attached to plasma membrane
  • Small size: 15 nm × 20 nm
  • Made of two subunits:
    • 50S + 30S = 70S ribosome

Function

  • Site of protein synthesis

Polyribosomes (Polysomes)

  • Many ribosomes attach to one mRNA
  • Form a chain called polysome
  • Helps in making many protein copies quickly

Inclusion Bodies

  • Storage granules in prokaryotic cells
  • Not surrounded by membrane
  • Free in cytoplasm

Examples

  • Phosphate granules
  • Cyanophycean granules
  • Glycogen granules

Gas Vacuoles

  • Found in:
    • Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)
    • Purple and green photosynthetic bacteria
  • Help in buoyancy (floating in water)

Eukaryotic Cells

Basic Features

  • Found in:
    • Protists
    • Plants
    • Animals
    • Fungi

Main Characteristics

  • Have membrane-bound organelles
  • Cytoplasm is compartmentalized
  • Have a true nucleus with nuclear envelope
  • DNA is organized into chromosomes
  • Have complex cytoskeleton and movement structures

Plant vs Animal Cells

Plant cells have:

  • Cell wall
  • Plastids (like chloroplasts)
  • Large central vacuole

Animal cells have:

  • Centrioles
  • No cell wall
  • No plastids

CELL

│

├── PROKARYOTIC CELL

│   │

│   ├── Cell Membrane Extensions

│   │   ├── DNA replication

│   │   ├── Distribution to daughter cells

│   │   ├── Respiration

│   │   ├── Secretion

│   │   ├── Increase surface area

│   │   └── Increase enzyme content

│   │

│   ├── Chromatophores

│   │   ├── Found in Cyanobacteria

│   │   ├── Membranous extensions

│   │   └── Contain pigments

│   │

│   ├── Surface Structures

│   │   │

│   │   ├── Flagella (Motility)

│   │   │   ├── Filament

│   │   │   ├── Hook

│   │   │   └── Basal Body

│   │   │

│   │   ├── Pili

│   │   │   ├── Tubular structures

│   │   │   └── Attachment / DNA transfer

│   │   │

│   │   └── Fimbriae

│   │       ├── Short bristle-like fibres

│   │       └── Attachment to surfaces & host tissues

│   │

│   ├── Ribosomes

│   │   ├── 70S Ribosome

│   │   │   ├── 50S Subunit

│   │   │   └── 30S Subunit

│   │   ├── Protein synthesis

│   │   └── Polysomes

│   │       └── Many ribosomes on one mRNA

│   │

│   └── Inclusion Bodies

│       ├── Non-membrane bound

│       ├── Storage materials

│       ├── Phosphate granules

│       ├── Cyanophycean granules

│       ├── Glycogen granules

│       └── Gas vacuoles

│           ├── Cyanobacteria

│           └── Purple & Green bacteria

│

└── EUKARYOTIC CELL

    │

    ├── Found In

    │   ├── Protists

    │   ├── Plants

    │   ├── Animals

    │   └── Fungi

    │

    ├── Features

    │   ├── Membrane-bound organelles

    │   ├── Compartmentalized cytoplasm

    │   ├── True nucleus

    │   ├── Nuclear envelope

    │   ├── Chromosomes

    │   └── Cytoskeleton

    │

    ├── Plant Cell

    │   ├── Cell wall

    │   ├── Plastids

    │   └── Large central vacuole

    │

    └── Animal Cell

        └── Centrioles 

1. MCQs (1 Mark Each)

Q1. The ribosome present in prokaryotic cells is:

a) 80S
b) 70S
c) 60S
d) 90S

Answer: b) 70S

Q2. Which structure helps bacteria in motility?

a) Pili
b) Fimbriae
c) Flagella
d) Ribosome

Answer: c) Flagella

Q3. Chromatophores are found in:

a) Animal cells b) Fungi c) Cyanobacteria d) Plant cells

Answer: c) Cyanobacteria

Q4. Gas vacuoles occur in:

a) Fungi b) Cyanobacteria c) Animals d) Protozoa

Answer: b) Cyanobacteria

Q5. Which organelle is absent in prokaryotes?

a) Ribosome b) Plasma membrane c) Nucleus d) Cytoplasm

Answer: c) Nucleus

Q6. Fimbriae help in:

a) Respiration b) Motility c) Attachment d) Digestion

Answer: c) Attachment

Q7. Reserve food materials in bacteria are stored as:

a) Lysosomes b) Inclusion bodies c) Vacuoles d) Plastids

Answer: b) Inclusion bodies

Q8. Plant cells possess:

a) Centrioles b) Plastids c) Flagella d) Pili

Answer: b) Plastids

2. Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)

Q1. What is a polysome?

Answer: A group of ribosomes attached to a single mRNA molecule.

Q2. Name the three parts of bacterial flagellum.

Answer: Filament, Hook and Basal Body.

Q3. What is the function of ribosomes?

Answer: Protein synthesis.

Q4. What are chromatophores?

Answer: Pigment-containing membranous structures found in cyanobacteria.

Q5. Which cell has a true nucleus?

Answer: Eukaryotic cell.

3. Short Answer Questions (2–3 Marks)

Q1. Differentiate between pili and fimbriae.

Pili Fimbriae
Longer structures Short bristle-like structures
Help in attachment and DNA transfer Help only in attachment

Q2. Write any three characteristics of prokaryotic cells.

Answer:

  1. Lack true nucleus.
  2. Lack membrane-bound organelles.
  3. Possess 70S ribosomes.

Q3. What are inclusion bodies? Give examples.

Answer: Inclusion bodies are non-membrane-bound storage structures found in prokaryotes.

Examples:

  • Glycogen granules
  • Phosphate granules
  • Cyanophycean granules

Q4. Mention any three differences between plant and animal cells.

Plant Cell Animal Cell
Cell wall present Cell wall absent
Plastids present Plastids absent
Large central vacuole Small vacuoles

4. Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)

Q1. Describe the structure and function of bacterial flagellum.

Answer:

The bacterial flagellum is a locomotory organ used for movement.

It consists of three parts:

  1. Filament

    • Longest part.
    • Extends outside the cell.

  2. Hook

    • Connects filament to basal body.

  3. Basal Body

    • Anchors the flagellum in the cell wall.

Functions:

  • Helps in movement.
  • Enables bacteria to move toward favorable conditions.

Q2. Explain the major features of eukaryotic cells.

Answer:

  1. Possess a true nucleus enclosed by nuclear membrane.
  2. Have membrane-bound organelles.
  3. Cytoplasm is compartmentalized.
  4. DNA organized into chromosomes.
  5. Have cytoskeleton and locomotory structures.
  6. Found in plants, animals, fungi and protists.

5. Assertion and Reason Questions

Q1.

Assertion (A): Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis.

Reason (R): Ribosomes are made up of 50S and 30S subunits in prokaryotes.

Answer: Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A.

Q2.

Assertion (A): Fimbriae help in bacterial motility.

Reason (R): Fimbriae are short bristle-like structures.

Answer: Assertion is false but Reason is true.

Q3.

Assertion (A): Eukaryotic cells have membrane-bound organelles.

Reason (R): Their cytoplasm is compartmentalized.

Answer: Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A.

6. Fill in the Blanks

  1. Ribosomes in prokaryotes are ________ type. Answer: 70S

  2. The longest part of flagellum is the ________. Answer: Filament

  3. ________ are pigment-containing membranous structures. Answer: Chromatophores

  4. Storage granules in bacteria are called ________. Answer: Inclusion bodies

  5. Animal cells possess ________. Answer: Centrioles

  6. Plant cells contain ________. Answer: Plastids

  7. A true nucleus is present in ________ cells. Answer: Eukaryotic

7. Statement-Based Questions

Q1. Read the statements:

I. Prokaryotes possess membrane-bound organelles.
II. Prokaryotes contain 70S ribosomes.

Choose the correct option:

a) Both correct
b) Both incorrect
c) I correct, II incorrect
d) I incorrect, II correct

Answer: d) I incorrect, II correct

Q2.

I. Plant cells have plastids. II. Animal cells have centrioles.

a) Both true b) Both false c) Only I true d) Only II true

Answer: a) Both true

8. Match the Columns

Q1.

Column A Column B
A. Flagella 1. Storage
B. Ribosomes 2. Protein synthesis
C. Inclusion bodies 3. Motility
D. Fimbriae 4. Attachment

Answer:

A → 3
B → 2
C → 1
D → 4

Q2.

Column A Column B
A. Chromatophore 1. Plant cell
B. Plastid 2. Cyanobacteria
C. Centriole 3. Animal cell
D. Gas vacuole 4. Photosynthetic bacteria

Answer:

A → 2
B → 1
C → 3
D → 4

9. Case Study Questions (CBSE Pattern)

Case Study 1

A student observed a bacterial cell under a microscope. He found a thread-like structure helping in movement and small granules storing reserve food material.

Questions:

Q1. Name the locomotory structure.

Answer: Flagellum

Q2. Name the storage granules.

Answer: Inclusion bodies

Q3. Which type of ribosome is present in this cell?

Answer: 70S ribosome

Q4. Is it a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell?

Answer: Prokaryotic cell

Case Study 2

A scientist studied a cell possessing plastids, a cell wall and a large central vacuole.

Questions:

Q1. Identify the cell.

Answer: Plant cell

Q2. Name the organelle responsible for photosynthesis.

Answer: Chloroplast

Q3. Is centriole present in this cell?

Answer: No

Q4. Which category of cell is it?

Answer: Eukaryotic cell

Important CBSE Exam Questions

  1. Draw and label bacterial flagellum.
  2. Explain 70S ribosome structure.
  3. Differentiate between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
  4. Explain inclusion bodies with examples.
  5. Compare plant and animal cells.
  6. Describe chromatophores and gas vacuoles.
  7. Explain the functions of pili and fimbriae.
  8. State the characteristics of eukaryotic cells.

 Internal Links

Link this article to:

Cell: The Unit of Life Notes

Biomolecules Complete NEET Notes

Cell Membrane Structure and Functions

Nucleus: Structure and Functions

Ribosomes and Protein Synthesis

Plant Cell vs Animal Cell Differences

NCERT Class 11 Biology Chapter 8 Summary

Cell Organelles Explained for NEET

Photosynthesis in Cyanobacteria



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