Question

Which feature is shared by protists, fungi, plants, and animals but is lacking in bacteria?
a. DNA
b. a nucleus
c. reproduction
d. cell membrane

Answer 1

B, a nucleus. Nuclei are membrane-bound organelles inside eukaryotic organisms. Eukaryotes are protists, fungi, plants, and animal cells. A bacteria is not a eukaryote, it is a prokaryote, so it does not have the membrane-bound structure of the nucleus.

Be careful, though, bacteria still have DNA. It is simply located in the center of the cell and is not encased in a membrane.

Answer 2

B; all living things have genetic material and maintain the ability to reproduce (eliminates a and c). Bacteria have a cell membrane, which allows for transport of materials in and out of the molecule; te membrane of a bacterium actually performs a lot of the cell's functions (eliminates d). Bacteria are prokaryotic, so they have no organelles and no nucleus. Their DNA is contained in a circular chromosome in the cytoplasm and in plasmids.