Compare and Contrast, at the cellular level, the general structures of prokaryotes and eukaryotes?

"Prokaryotic cells are organisms without a cell nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells are organized into complex structures by internal membranes and a cytoskeleton.

A distinction between prokaryotes and eukaryotes (meaning true kernel, also spelled "eucaryotes") is that eukaryotes do have "true" nuclei containing their DNA, whereas the genetic material in prokaryotes is not membrane-bound. Eukaryotic organisms, such as humans, may be unicellular or multicellular.

In light of the two-empire system, the cell structure of prokaryotes differs greatly from eukaryotes. Thus using the three-domain system, the cell structure of archea are to a great extent (and bacteria to some lesser extent) differ from the cell structure of eukaryotes. The defining characteristic is the absence of a nucleus or nuclear envelope. Prokaryotes were also previously considered to lack cytoskeletons and to lack membrane-bound cell compartments such as vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum/endoplasmic reticula, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and chloroplasts. In eukaryotes, the latter two perform various metabolic processes and are believed to have been derived from endosymbiotic bacteria. In prokaryotes similar processes occur across the cell membrane; endosymbionts are extremely rare. The cell walls of prokaryotes are generally formed of a different molecule (peptidoglycan) to those of eukaryotes (many eukaryotes do not have a cell wall at all).

Prokaryotes also differ from eukaryotes in that they contain only a single loop of stable chromosomal DNA stored in an area named the nucleoid, while eukaryote DNA is found on tightly bound and organised chromosomes. Prokaryotes have a larger surface area to volume ratio giving them a higher metabolic rate, a higher growth rate and consequently a shorter generation time compared to Eukaryotes. "