Prokaryotic Structures

Prokaryotes lack membrane-bound organelles, including a nucleus. However, they still carry out all the functions of life. Prokaryotes generally have smaller DNA molecules than eukaryotes, and these are suspended within the cell in a region called the nucleoid. Prokaryotic cells are enclosed by a cell membrane that is surrounded by a strong, rigid cell wall. Some prokaryotic cells move via the action of a flagellum, which is a whiplike appendage. Some have short hairlike structures called pili that help them move or obtain food. Shorter pili called fimbriae can help attach a bacterium to a surface. Many prokaryotic cells obtain nutrients by engulfing organic molecules, forming vesicles similar to eukaryotic lysosomes. Some prokaryotes contain photosynthetic pigments and make their own food using light energy. Others build organic molecules using the energy from Earth's heat. Some prokaryotes orient themselves along Earth's magnetic fields. These bacteria, including archaea, contain structures that help them sense magnetic fields. The magnetosome is a membranous pocket within the bacterial cell membrane that contains iron-rich magnetic particles. These structures help the bacterium orient itself and move when environmental conditions become unfavorable. Most prokaryotes reproduce through the action of binary fission by doubling their DNA, growing, and then dividing. However, sometimes prokaryotes transfer DNA between cells. This process is known as conjugation and entails the formation of a "bridge" between the cells, in which their cell membranes connect via a pilus. Additionally, prokaryotic cells can take up DNA from their environment by engulfing it, similarly to how they obtain food. This process is called transformation. The environmental DNA is incorporated into the prokaryote's DNA. Finally, prokaryotes occasionally have DNA forced into them by viruses called bacteriophages. Once the bacteriophage DNA has entered the prokaryotic cell, it is incorporated into the cell's own DNA strand. This process is known as transduction.