Cells are divided into two classes, prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Prokaryotic cells are simpler in structure than eukaryotic cells, but are not necessarily inferior. While both types of cells have some similarities, they are also different in many ways. Eukaryotes have a nucleus enveloped in a membrane, whereas prokaryotes do not. Eukaryotes also have many organelles inside their membranes, but prokaryotes do not. These cells can be infected by agents known as viruses. Viruses, like the HIV virus, are not considered to be alive because they cannot metabolize, reproduce, or perform any other life activities. However, viruses do have a membrane and genetic material like living cells do.
A typical prokaryotic cell is smaller than an animal cell. The HIV virus is also smaller than an animal cell as it infects the cell and later buds from it. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have plasma membranes that are made of the same general components (phospholipids and proteins) and are selectively permeable. The HIV virus possesses a protein capsid
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This material is used when the cells reproduce to create a cell that will perform the same function of the parent cell. When a cell reproduces, some of the genetic material is passed on to the daughter cell. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have DNA that is housed in chromosomes. However, a prokaryotic cell contains only a single chromosome that holds smaller amounts of DNA than eukaryotes. This single chromosome is found in the nucleoid region. A typical eukaryotic cell has many individual chromosomes, each holding one linear DNA molecule. The chromosomes of eukaryotic cells join with proteins to form chromatin. Chromatin is a complex nucleoprotein and can be found surrounding the nucleolus inside the nucleus. The genetic material of the HIV virus is contained in the single-stranded RNA. The RNA and its reverse transcriptase are housed inside the protein capsid of the