Bacteria and fungi are both used in food production. Describe four features of bacteria that distinguish them from fungi.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
Model answer (4 marks)
Bacteria are prokaryotic and therefore lack a nucleus, whereas fungi are eukaryotic and possess a nucleus.
Bacteria have a cell wall made of murein (peptidoglycan), while fungi have a cell wall made of chitin.
Bacteria contain plasmids – small, circular loops of DNA in the cytoplasm – which fungi do not possess.
Bacteria are smaller and lack membrane‑bound organelles such as mitochondria, whereas fungi contain such organelles.
Bacteria have a cell wall made of murein (peptidoglycan), while fungi have a cell wall made of chitin.
Bacteria contain plasmids – small, circular loops of DNA in the cytoplasm – which fungi do not possess.
Bacteria are smaller and lack membrane‑bound organelles such as mitochondria, whereas fungi contain such organelles.
Examiner tips
- Use the exact terms "prokaryotic", "eukaryotic", "murein", "chitin", "plasmids", "membrane‑bound organelles".
- Show each feature as a separate point to match the four marks.
Common mistakes
- Confusing the cell wall material (murein vs chitin).
- Forgetting that bacteria lack a nucleus and membrane‑bound organelles.
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Bacteria are prokaryotic / do not contain a nucleus, whereas fungi are eukaryotic / contain a nucleus
- Bacteria have a cell wall made of murein / not chitin, whereas fungi have a cell wall made of chitin
- Bacteria contain plasmids / loops of DNA in the cytoplasm, which fungi do not have
- Bacteria are smaller / lack membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria, whereas fungi possess membrane-bound organelles / mitochondria
Related
- All Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Biology (4BI1) revision notes →
- How to answer a "Describe" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →