Kingdom Monera - Nucleoid

Description:

Nucleoid represents the genetic material of the prokaryotes. Nucleoid is also known as genophore, prochromosome, incipient nucleus and chromoneme. Some of the properties of nucleoid are −

• Nucleoid consists of a single circular strand of DNA duplex which is supercoiled.

• Nucleoid proteins are different from the histone proteins.

• DNA of prokaryotes is considered naked because they are not associated with histone proteins and do not have nuclear envelope.

• Nucleoid is embedded freely in the cytoplasm.

• A cell can have two or more nucleoids but they all are replicated copies of same nucleoid.

• Nucleoid may remain directly attached to the plasma membrane or through the mesosomes.