Eukaryote

A eukaryote is an organism whose cells contain a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. Eukaryotes include animals, plants, fungi, and diverse single-celled lineages.

Cell nucleus: A membrane-enclosed compartment that stores most of a eukaryotic cell’s genetic material. Its presence defines the central distinction between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
Endosymbiotic theory: The theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts descended from bacteria living inside ancestral cells. It explains the bacterial ancestry of eukaryotes’ energy-producing organelles.
Prokaryote: An organism whose cells lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. The nucleus-based distinction separates eukaryotes from bacteria and archaea.
Animal: A multicellular eukaryote that obtains energy by consuming organic matter and typically develops from an embryo. Animals are one major lineage of eukaryotes, with specialized tissues and cells.
Multicellularity: A form of life in which multiple cells cooperate and often specialize within one organism. Eukaryotic cells repeatedly evolved the coordination needed to form complex multicellular bodies.
Endomembrane system: A network of membranes and organelles that makes, modifies, and transports proteins and lipids. It organizes intracellular transport and compartmentalization in eukaryotic cells.
Asgard archaea: A group of archaea whose genes include close relatives of proteins associated with eukaryotic complexity. Their discovery sharpened hypotheses about the archaeal host of the first eukaryote.
Archaea: One of the three domains of life, comprising prokaryotic organisms distinct from bacteria. Eukaryotes share a closer evolutionary relationship with archaea than with bacteria.
Plant: A eukaryotic organism, typically photosynthetic, belonging to the green plant lineage. Plants illustrate eukaryotic cells with chloroplasts and cellulose-rich walls.
Cell differentiation: The process by which cells develop distinct structures and functions. Eukaryotic gene regulation supports specialized cell types within multicellular organisms.

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