There are two main classifications for cellular life: Prokaryotes, which are single-celled organisms without a nucleus and Eukaryotes, which are organisms whose cells have a nucleus.
Prokaryotes, whose estimated biomass is more than ten times greater than the biomass of eukaryotes, are found in two domains: Bacteria and Archaea.
SHARED FEATURES
- Plasma membrane
- Cytosol
- Use DNA to store genetic information
- Use ribosomes to synthesize proteins
PROKARYOTES ONLY
- Circular chromosome found in nucleoid region of cell
- Cell wall (made of different molecules than eukaryotic cell walls)
EUKARYOTES ONLY
- Linear chromosomes in membrane bound nucleus
- Membrane bound organelles