Do Prokaryotes have any organelles?

[ipodtouch]

I know that Prokaryotes have no membrane-bound organelles. The only thing resembling an organelle in prokaryotes are Ribosomes, but I was wondering if they were considered organelles.


I was always under the impression that they were, until recently
http://www.biology-online.org/biology-forum/about11912.html


So, for the question "do prokaryotes have any organelles" would the answer be no?

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[MT Headed]

Ribosomes are sometimes called organelles and sometimes not. This is not the sort of thing that would be asked on the MCAT.

But to answer your final question, take a look at this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosome

You could win some bar bets with knowledge like this.

 

[ipodtouch]

gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wtfffffffffff
haha


I guess it goes to show that absolutes are out the window.

 

[MedPR]

Yes, they have organelles. They don't have membrane bound organelles.

As MT said, there's a bit of ambiguity and it depends who you are talking to, but for the MCAT I'm pretty sure ribosomes count as organelles.

One of the keys for MCAT is knowing that prokaryotes do not have a nucleus and do not have any membrane bound organelles. A pretty common question (in my opinion) that tests this is "Where does cellular respiration occur in prokaryotes?"

A. Cytosol
B. Nucleus
C. Mitochondria
D. Nucleolus

You might want to pick C since that's where TCA occurs in eukaryotes, but you would be wrong.

 

[MT Headed]

Yes, they have organelles. They don't have membrane bound organelles.

Magnetosomes are membrane bound, prokaryotic organelles.

 

[MedPR]

Magnetosomes are membrane bound, prokaryotic organelles.

Sorry, I meant to say for the MCAT, prokaryotes do not have membrane bound organelles.

 

[SaintJude]

Haha- Yes, let's all agree to live in the simplified MCAT world until it's done and over. Prokaryotes do NOT have membrane bound organelles.😉