Final answer:
True, bacterial genomes are far smaller compared to those of eukaryotic cells, often having a single circular chromosome and a generally higher surface-to-volume ratio which aids in their metabolic functions. Eukaryotic cells have more complex genomes and multiple linear chromosomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question can be answered with a true. Genomes of bacteria, which are prokaryotic cells, are indeed far smaller than those of eukaryotic cells.
Bacterial genomes may be as small as only 112,000 base pairs. In contrast, the human genome, which is eukaryotic, contains about three billion base pairs per haploid set of chromosomes. Moreover, bacteria have a single circular chromosome while eukaryotes have multiple, more complex linear chromosomes.
In addition to smaller genome size, prokaryotic cells are also physically smaller in size with a higher surface-to-volume ratio compared to eukaryotic cells.
This contributes to their efficiency in nutrient uptake and waste elimination. Additionally, bacteria lack many of the membrane-bound organelles found in eukaryotes, like mitochondria and chloroplasts, and instead have unique features such as a cell wall and sometimes flagella.