Which statement is true about prokaryotic cells?

• A. They possess a nucleus.
• B. They all have mitochondria.
• C. They have no membrane-bound organelles and are typically very small.
• D. They have a complex endomembrane system.

Answer: (C)

Prokaryotic cells are defined by two main features: they lack a nucleus and they do not have membrane-bound organelles. They are also generally smaller in size than eukaryotic cells. This combination explains why the true statement is that they have no membrane-bound organelles and are typically very small. Without a nucleus, their DNA sits in a region called the nucleoid rather than inside a membrane-bound nucleus. They also do not contain mitochondria; energy production occurs across the cell membrane and, in some organisms, via simple internal membrane structures, but not through a complex endomembrane system like in eukaryotic cells. The other ideas—having a nucleus, having mitochondria, or possessing a complex endomembrane system—don’t fit with the characteristic organization of prokaryotic cells.