Core properties of living cells (identify the exception) Which of the following statements is NOT a universal property of all cells across the tree of life (including both prokaryotes and eukaryotes)?

Introduction / Context:
A central learning objective in cell biology is to distinguish between universal properties of all cells and features restricted to specific lineages. Prokaryotes and eukaryotes share many core attributes, but they differ markedly in internal compartmentalization. This question asks you to identify the statement that is not universally true of all cells.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The items mix truly universal cell traits with eukaryote-specific traits.
• Prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) lack membrane-bound organelles such as nuclei and mitochondria.
• All cells must store genetic information, use it, reproduce, respond to the environment, and manage energy flow.

Concept / Approach:

To be considered living, cells exhibit information storage and expression (DNA or RNA genomes, transcription and translation), metabolism and energy transduction, growth and reproduction, and responsiveness to stimuli. Organelles like nuclei and mitochondria are hallmarks of eukaryotic cells only. Therefore, any statement asserting that all cells have nuclei and mitochondria is incorrect as a universal claim.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Any microbiology text confirms that prokaryotes lack a nucleus and mitochondria, though they carry out energy processes using the plasma membrane or specialized structures and organize DNA within a nucleoid region.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Genetic programme and its use: Universal property via DNA/RNA and the central dogma.
• Self-replication: Cells divide by binary fission, mitosis, or meiosis.
• Response to stimuli: Chemotaxis, signal transduction, and gene regulation demonstrate responsiveness.
• Energy acquisition and transformation: Fundamental to life through respiration, photosynthesis, or fermentation.

Common Pitfalls:

• Equating all cells with animal cells, which biases expectations toward eukaryote structures.
• Overlooking prokaryotic metabolic diversity that compensates for the absence of mitochondria.

Final Answer:

cells have nuclei and mitochondria