Final answer:
DNA in prokaryotic cells is easy to copy primarily due to their small genome size and simple circular chromosome structure. This, combined with their single origin of replication, allows for a high DNA replication rate in a straightforward process, making binary fission much faster than eukaryotic cell division.
Step-by-step explanation:
DNA is easy to copy in a prokaryotic cell principally because of its simple structure and the fact that prokaryotic cells have a small genome size. Prokaryotic cells have a single circular chromosome that is not enclosed in a nucleus, which makes the replication process faster and more straightforward.
Additionally, although prokaryotes have multiple DNA polymerases, their high DNA replication rate is mainly due to the presence of a single origin of replication, where DNA pol III performs strand elongation, and DNA pol I acts as the primer remover. This contrasts with eukaryotic cells, which have multiple origins of replication and more complex organizational structures to duplicate.
The simplicity of the prokaryotic cell division process, known as binary fission, also contributes to their rapid replication rate. The lack of histones and nucleosomes streamline the packaging of DNA, which, in turn, aids the swift duplication of the prokaryotic DNA. Hence, the most accurate answer to the question would be 4) Prokaryotic cells have a small genome size, which is a critical factor that makes DNA replication in these cells more facile.