Akaryocytes, also known as akaryotes or acaryotes, are cells without a

nucleus Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom *Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucle ...

. The name is derived from the Greek prefix "a-", meaning "without" and the Greek "karyo-", meaning "nut" or "kernel".

Types

Akaryotes come in many different forms. Overall, there are four main types of akaryocytes discovered: Erythrocytes, commonly known as red blood cells, are concave-shaped cells responsible for gas exchange, and the transfer of nutrients throughout an organism. Red blood cells are classified as akaryocytes because they lack a cell nucleus after they have fully developed. The most common types of akaryocytes are

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

, and

archaea Archaea ( ; singular archaeon ) is a domain of single-celled organisms. These microorganisms lack cell nuclei and are therefore prokaryotes. Archaea were initially classified as bacteria, receiving the name archaebacteria (in the Archaebac ...

. Bacteria and archaea are unicellular organisms that lack organelles–specifically, a nucleus. They lack nuclei but contain other organelles that assist with the replication processes. Viruses are sometimes considered akaryocytes but the suffix "cyte" means cells. Akaryote is also used as a synonym for akaryocyte however 'ote" implies a taxonomic relationship that does not exist among akaryocytes.

Contribution

Akaryotes play a special role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Bacteria and archaea, specifically, have contributed to the stability of ecological sciences. A crucial process both bacteria and archaea are involved in is nitrification–the oxidation of ammonia, which contributes to healthier agricultural ecosystems, thus, areas containing mainly soil."Prokaryotes: Bacteria & Archaea". ''Organismal Biology''.

References

Cells {{Cell-biology-stub