The classification of organisms based on their structure implies their belonging to either prokaryotic or eukaryotic types. The cells forming these organisms vary in both anatomy and function. The principal anatomical difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is in the presence of a membrane that bounds organelles and the nucleus in the latter. Hence, eukaryotic cells are more complex than prokaryotes that lack both the bounding membrane and the nucleus. Moreover, these two types of cells differ in size since eukaryotes are significantly bigger than prokaryotes. This difference, in turn, leads to their varied functioning, and it is vital to draw an analogy between them.
Prokaryotic cells as more simple structures are the basic elements of all ecosystems. They are divided into bacteria and archaea, and these types of single-celled organisms have different functions as well. Thus, bacteria play an important role when it comes to their influence on humans as they can either cause infections or help one’s body to build up necessary substances. Archaea are more specific structures living in an environment in which bacteria cannot survive, and they mitigate the effects of infections on people. Eukaryotic cells are more complex structures responsible for the transport of substances across the membrane without the use of cellular energy.
The process of moving materials such as water or oxygen with the help of eukaryotic cells has various forms, the most known of which are diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis. Diffusion and facilitated diffusion are different in the direction of substance transport, which is performed either without assistance or in interaction with particular solutes. As for osmosis, it represents the spontaneous movement of liquids. All these processes occur in eukaryotes, and this fact highlights their complexity and multifunctionality.