[proh-kar-ee-oht, -ee-uh
t] 
| any cellular organism that has no nuclear membrane, no organelles in the cytoplasm except ribosomes, and has its genetic material in the form of single continuous strands forming coils or loops, characteristic of all organisms in the kingdom Monera, as the bacteria and blue-green algae. |
| pro·kar·y·ote also pro·car·y·ote (prō-kār'ē-ōt') n. An organism of the kingdom Monera (or Prokaryotae), comprising the bacteria and cyanobacteria, characterized by the absence of a distinct, membrane-bound nucleus or membrane-bound organelles, and by DNA that is not organized into chromosomes. Also called moneran. [French procaryote : Greek pro-, before; see pro-2 + Greek karuōtos, having nuts (from karuon, nut; see karyo-).] pro·kar'y·ot'ic (-ŏt'ĭk) adj. |
prokaryote pro·kar·y·ote or pro·car·y·ote (prō-kār'ē-ōt')
n.
An organism of the kingdom Prokaryotae, constituting the bacteria and cyanobacteria, characterized by the absence of a nuclear membrane and by DNA that is not organized into chromosomes.