You and your lab partner are observing a cell under a microscope, but you do not know whether it is a eukaryote or a prokaryote. Which of the following observations regarding the chromosomes would you use to immediately conclude that the cell is a eukaryote?
A) The chromosomes are circular in structure.
B) The chromosomes are housed in a membrane-enclosed nucleus.
C) The chromosomes contain very few proteins.
D) The chromosomes are very simple in structure.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of a membrane-enclosed nucleus is a characteristic of eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotes do not have a true nucleus, and their genetic material is not enclosed in a membrane. A eukaryotic cell's chromosomes are enclosed in a nucleus, which distinguishes them from prokaryotes. A eukaryote's chromosomes are also more complex and have many proteins associated with them. Furthermore, prokaryotes have a circular chromosome, whereas eukaryotes have linear chromosomes. But this feature is not unique to eukaryotes as some prokaryotes also have linear chromosomes.

You and Your Lab Partner Are Observing a Cell Under