Final answer:
Rho-independent termination in prokaryotes occurs when the polymerase encounters a region rich in C-G nucleotides and creates a hairpin loop structure that stalls the polymerase. Rho-dependent termination is controlled by the rho protein, which binds to the nascent RNA strand and breaks the H-bonds between the RNA and the template DNA strand.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rho-independent termination in prokaryotes is a mechanism of transcription termination that occurs when the polymerase encounters a region rich in C-G nucleotides. In this process, the mRNA creates a hairpin loop structure that causes the polymerase to stall. This mechanism does not require the presence of the rho protein. On the other hand, rho-dependent termination is controlled by the rho protein and occurs when the polymerase stalls near the end of the gene at a run of G nucleotides on the DNA template. The rho protein binds to the nascent RNA strand and breaks the H-bonds between the RNA and the template DNA strand, leading to termination of transcription.