Meaning & use
prokaryote
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Meanings
nouncountablebiologytechnical
A living thing made of a single cell that has no nucleus and no membrane-covered internal structures.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a prokaryote, prokaryotes, or two prokaryotes.
Patterns
- a prokaryote cell
- prokaryotes and eukaryotes
- prokaryotes in the soil
Bacteria are prokaryotes, so their genetic material floats freely in the cell.
In biology class we compared a prokaryote with a plant cell under the microscope.
Prokaryotes can survive in extreme places, from hot springs to deep ice.
nouncountablebiologyspecialist
An organism of this kind, considered as a group in scientific study or classification.
Grammar: Often used in the plural when talking about the whole group.
Patterns
- the evolution of prokaryotes
- prokaryote genomes
- prokaryotes are classified as
The earliest fossils of prokaryotes are billions of years old.
Researchers study prokaryotes because they reproduce very quickly.
The tree of life separates prokaryotes from all organisms with a nucleus.
Word forms
| plural | prokaryotes |
|---|
Common combinations
- prokaryote cell
- A prokaryote cell is much simpler than a cell with a nucleus.
- prokaryotes and eukaryotes
- The textbook chapter explains the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
- prokaryote genome
- The prokaryote genome is usually a single loop of DNA.
- prokaryotes are found in
- Prokaryotes are found in almost every environment on Earth.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bacterium
- A bacterium is one common type of prokaryote, but prokaryotes also include other single-celled organisms, so the words are not fully interchangeable.
- microbe
- Microbe is a general word for any very small living thing, including some eukaryotes, so it is broader than prokaryote.
Opposites
Word family
- prokaryotic adjective
- Describing a cell or organism that has no nucleus.
Commonly confused: prokaryote or eukaryote?
prokaryote vs eukaryote
A eukaryote has a nucleus and other membrane-bound parts; a prokaryote does not. The two words look similar but describe opposite cell types.
Practice
Which sentence uses prokaryote correctly?
Choose one answer.
A prokaryote is defined by the absence of a nucleus, so option C fits. Option A describes a eukaryote, option B reverses the terms, and option D invents a cell part that does not exist.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prokaryote”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.