noun

• A microscopic single-celled organism that has neither a distinct nucleus with a membrane nor other specialized organelles. Prokaryotes include the bacteria and cyanobacteria.

  Compare with eukaryote

  ‘These proteins are expressed by all organisms ranging from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes, including human cells.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘In a few organisms called prokaryotes, there is no defined nucleus and the DNA is found throughout the cell.’
  • ‘The difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes is that eukaryotes have a nucleus, while prokaryotes do not.’
  • ‘Early fossils are all simple-celled prokaryotes such as bacteria and cyanobacteria.’
  • ‘Why are extragenic mutations evidently more common in viruses than in prokaryotes or eukaryotes?’