| S. No. | Characterstics | Prokaryotic cell | Eukaryotic cell |
| 1 | Cell Size | The cell size is usually small. | The cell size is comparatively larger |
| 2 | Nucleus | Nuclear region is poorly defined due to absence of nuclear envelope. Nucleoid (genetic material) is not surrounded by a nuclear membrane and is in direct contact with the cytoplasm. | Distinct nucleus in present. Nuclear material is surrounded by nuclear membrane and is not in direct contact with the surrounding. |
| 3 | Chromosomes | Nucleoid is equivalent to a single chromosome or prochromosome. Hence the amount of DNA is comparatively low | Nucleus contains more than one chromo- some. Hence, the amount of DNA is comparatively very high.Nucleolus is present. |
| 4 | Nucleolus | Nucleolus is absent | Nucleolus is absent |
| 5 | Protein synthesis | Protein synthesis occurs only in cytoplasm. | Protein synthesis takes place in cytoplasm, mitochondria and plastids. |
| 6 | Membrane bound organelles | Membrane-bound organelles are absent. | Membrane-bound organelles are present(e.g., mitochondria, plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus, lysosome etc.) |
| 7 | Ribosomes | Ribosomes are of 70S type. | Ribosomes are of 80S type: 70S type ribosome occurs in mitochondria and plastids. |
| 8 | Centrioles | Centrioles (centrosome, central apparatus) are absent. | Centrioles are usually present. |
| 9 | Sap Vacuoles | True sap vacuoles are usually absent | True or sap vacuoles are commonly found, Instead gas vacuoles may be found. |
| 10 | Thylakoid | Thylakoids, if present, lie freely in cytoplasm | Thylakoids, if present are grouped inside chloroplast as granum. |
| 11 | Plasmid | Additional small circular DNA segment or plasmids may occur. | Plasmids are absent. |
| 12 | Envelope system | Single envelope system | Having double/two envelope system |
