What term describes a cell that has no nucleus?

• A. Eukaryote
• B. Bacterium
• C. Prokaryote
• D. Plant cell

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is how cells are organized by the presence or absence of a nucleus. Cells without a membrane-bound nucleus are prokaryotes. In these cells, DNA sits in a region called the nucleoid rather than inside a defined nucleus, and they typically lack membrane-bound organelles. Bacteria and archaea are examples of prokaryotes. The term that describes a cell lacking a nucleus is prokaryote. A bacterium is a specific organism that is a prokaryote, so it fits but refers to an individual organism rather than the general cell-type category. A eukaryote describes a cell with a nucleus, such as a plant cell, which is an example of a different, more complex cell type.