Final answer:
A cell without membrane-bound organelles or a defined nucleus is classified as prokaryotic. Prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, have their DNA in a central nucleoid area without a surrounding membrane, unlike eukaryotic cells. Thus, the option C is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cell that does not contain membrane-bound organelles or a defined nucleus would be classified as C) prokaryotic. Prokaryotic cells, which include bacteria and archaea, lack a nucleus and other organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts that are characteristic of eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic cells do have DNA, but it is located in a central part of the cell called the nucleoid, which is not enclosed by a membrane. This fundamental difference is what distinguishes prokaryotic cells from eukaryotic cells, which have a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles.