The diagram below shows the structure of a bacterial cell.

Question

Which of the following distinguishes this bacterial cell from eukaryotes?

a
The bacterial cell has both a cell membrane and a cell wall, and eukaryotes have only cell membranes.
b
The bacterial cell is a unicellular organism, and all eukaryotes are multicellular.
c
Ribosomes are found in the cytoplasm of the bacterial cell, and eukaryotes do not have ribosomes.
d
DNA in the bacterial cell is always in contact with the cytoplasm, and all eukaryotes have DNA located inside a nucleus.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

d
DNA in the bacterial cell is always in contact with the cytoplasm, and all eukaryotes have DNA located inside a nucleus.

This distinguishes bacterial cells from eukaryotic cells, as eukaryotes have their DNA contained within a membrane-bound nucleus, while bacterial DNA is located in the cytoplasm and not separated by a membrane.

The other options can be refuted as follows:

• a is incorrect because some eukaryotes, like plant cells, also have cell walls.
• b is incorrect because there are unicellular eukaryotes, such as protists.
• c is incorrect because eukaryotes do have ribosomes, though they may differ in size and location compared to those in prokaryotes.