Which statement describes prokaryote DNA?

Which statement describes prokaryote DNA?

• A. It consists of several linear chromosomes in the nucleus
• B. It is a single circular chromosome located in the cytoplasm
• C. It uses histone proteins identical to eukaryotes
• D. It replicates through mitosis

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how prokaryotic DNA is organized and replicated. In prokaryotes, the genome is typically a single circular chromosome that resides in the cytoplasm, in a region called the nucleoid, because there is no membrane-bound nucleus. They also lack the classic eukaryotic histone-based packaging of DNA. When it comes to duplication, prokaryotes do not use mitosis; they replicate their DNA and divide by binary fission. That combination—a single circular chromosome in the cytoplasm with no nuclear envelope and division by binary fission—best matches the description of prokote DNA. The other statements describe features of eukaryotic cells or different DNA packaging/division mechanisms that don’t apply to prokaryotes.

The key idea is how prokaryotic DNA is organized and replicated. In prokaryotes, the genome is typically a single circular chromosome that resides in the cytoplasm, in a region called the nucleoid, because there is no membrane-bound nucleus. They also lack the classic eukaryotic histone-based packaging of DNA. When it comes to duplication, prokaryotes do not use mitosis; they replicate their DNA and divide by binary fission. That combination—a single circular chromosome in the cytoplasm with no nuclear envelope and division by binary fission—best matches the description of prokote DNA. The other statements describe features of eukaryotic cells or different DNA packaging/division mechanisms that don’t apply to prokaryotes.