An organism whose cells contain a nucleus enclosed by a membrane and typically contain other membrane-bound organelles.
Eukaryotes include animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Their cells are generally more structurally complex than those of prokaryotes, with DNA enclosed within a nucleus and specialized structures such as mitochondria.
Humans are eukaryotes. Fungi are also eukaryotes, which is one reason fungal cells differ fundamentally from bacterial cells and can require different types of medicines when they cause infection.
QUICK FACT
The defining feature is the presence of a membrane-bound nucleus. “Eukaryote” does not mean multicellular; some eukaryotes consist of a single cell.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Prokaryote: an organism whose cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus.
- Eukaryotic cell: a cell belonging to a eukaryotic organism; an eukaryote is the organism itself.
SEE ALSO