Final answer:
Prokaryotic cells do not undergo mitosis and therefore do not need a mitotic spindle, so the statement is False. Instead, they use a protein called FtsZ during cell division. Prokaryotic cells, including bacteria, lack nuclei and organelles like mitochondria and their DNA is not contained within a nucleus.
Step-by-step explanation:
When addressing the question of whether prokaryotic cells undergo mitosis and need a mitotic spindle, the answer would be False. Prokaryotic cells do not undergo mitosis but divide through a process called binary fission. Although they do not require a mitotic spindle, they do utilize a structurally similar protein called FtsZ. This protein is crucial in prokaryotic cytokinesis and forms filaments and rings that resemble the microtubules formed by tubulin in eukaryotic cells. Bacteria, which are prokaryotic cells, lack nucleus and organelles like mitochondria and thus their DNA, which is typically a single circular chromosome, is located in the cytoplasm, rather than a nucleus.
In comparing prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, it's important to note that prokaryotic cells are generally smaller and divide at a higher rate than eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic cells were the first type of organism to evolve, which makes sense given their simpler structure. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus and various organelles that prokaryotes lack, allowing eukaryotes to perform more complex functions. Additionally, the DNA in prokaryotic cells is not enclosed within a nucleus and they do not have mitochondria.
When discussing cell size, it is generally true that smaller cells are more efficient due to a higher surface-area-to-volume ratio, which facilitates the exchange of materials with the environment. In terms of cellular appendages, cilia and flagella are extensions of the cell that aid in movement and are made of protein complexes like microtubules, not the cell membrane itself. Also, all single-celled organisms are not prokaryotes; some single-celled organisms are eukaryotic, such as yeast and protozoa.