You receive a sample slide of an organism. While observing it under a microscope, you notice that the organism is single-celled and green in color. There are multiple individual organisms on the slide. Based on this initial information, you guess that it is either a bacterium or a protist. Which trait is least likely to help you identify the correct group of this organism? (1 point)

Question

Responses

the absence of cell structure membranes
the absence of cell structure membranes

the presence of cell structures in the cell
the presence of cell structures in the cell

the presence of different cell shapes
the presence of different cell shapes

the absence of a nucleus
the absence of a nucleus

Answer 1

The trait that is least likely to help you identify the correct group of this organism is the absence of cell structure membranes.

Bacteria, which are single-celled organisms, lack membrane-bound organelles and a defined nucleus, while protists are typically eukaryotic and have membrane-bound organelles, including a nucleus. However, the presence or absence of cell membranes is a more fundamental characteristic of cell types rather than a distinguishing feature between these two groups. The other traits mentioned, such as the presence of cell structures and the presence of different cell shapes, would provide more useful information in differentiating between bacteria and protists.