You have isolated a motile, gram-positive cell with no visible nucleus. You can assume this cell has
a. ribosomes.
b. mitochondria.
c. an endoplasmic reticulum.
d. a Golgi complex.
e. all of the above

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the characteristics of a gram-positive cell. Gram-positive cells have a thick peptidoglycan layer in their cell wall and lack an outer membrane.
2. Recognize that the cell is prokaryotic because it is described as having no visible nucleus. Prokaryotic cells do not have membrane-bound organelles.
3. Understand that prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, do have ribosomes, which are not membrane-bound and are essential for protein synthesis.
4. Recall that mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi complex are membrane-bound organelles found in eukaryotic cells, not in prokaryotic cells.
5. Conclude that the isolated cell can only have ribosomes from the given options, as it is a prokaryotic, gram-positive bacterium.

Key Concepts

Prokaryotic Cell Structure

Prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, are characterized by the absence of a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles. Instead, their genetic material is located in a nucleoid region. They possess ribosomes, which are essential for protein synthesis, and can be motile due to structures like flagella.

Ribosomes

Ribosomes are molecular machines found in all living cells that synthesize proteins by translating messenger RNA (mRNA). In prokaryotes, ribosomes are smaller than those in eukaryotes, but they play a crucial role in cellular function and are present in both types of cells.

Cellular Organelles

Eukaryotic cells contain various membrane-bound organelles, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi complex, which perform specialized functions. In contrast, prokaryotic cells lack these organelles, relying instead on simpler structures to carry out metabolic processes.