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AAT Bioquest

What organelle is found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes?

Posted April 29, 2022


Answer

Ribosome is the only organelle that’s found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, the size and complexity of the ribosomes found in prokaryotes differs from those found in eukaryotes. Prokaryotes have smaller ribosomes, called 70S ribosomes (the ‘S’ stands for svedbergs), which are comparatively simpler than those found in eukaryotes. Prokaryotic ribosomes are composed of only 3 types of ribosomal RNA and about 50 types of proteins. Eukaryotes have larger ribosomes, called 80S ribosomes. They are also more complex than the ribosomes found in prokaryotes. Eukaryotic ribosomes are composed of 5 types of ribosomal RNA and about 80 types of proteins. 

Additional resources

A Path to the Atomic-Resolution Structures of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Ribosomes

Cell Structures and Organelles