Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms that are the earliest and most primitive forms of life on earth. As organized in the Three Domain System, prokaryotes include bacteria and archaeans. Some prokaryotes, such as cyanobacteria, are photosynthetic organisms and are capable of photosynthesis.
Many prokaryotes are extremophiles and are able to live and thrive in various types of extreme environments including hydrothermal vents, hot springs, swamps, wetlands, and the guts of humans and animals (Helicobacter pylori). Prokaryotic bacteria can be found almost anywhere and are part of the human microbiota. They live on your skin, in your body, and on everyday objects in your environment.
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All prokaryotic cells have a nucleoid region, DNA and RNA as their genetic material, ribosomes that make proteins, and cytoplasm that contains a cytoskeleton, which organizes and supports the parts of the cell. Prokaryotic cells are simpler than eukaryotic cells, and an organism that is a prokaryote is unicellular; it is made up of only one prokaryotic cell.
Prokaryotic cells are usually between 0.1 to 5 micrometers in length (.00001 to .0005 cm). Eukaryotic cells are generally much larger, between 10 and 100 micrometers. Prokaryotic cells have a higher surface-area-to-volume ratio because they are smaller, which makes them able to obtain a larger amount of nutrients via their plasma membrane.
