Which component is a characteristic of eukaryotic chromosomes that prokaryotic chromosomes lack?

Eukaryotic chromosomes are characterized by their association with histone proteins, which help to organize and condense DNA into a compact structure known as chromatin. This complex structure is crucial for packaging the large amount of DNA found within the eukaryotic cell nucleus and plays a significant role in gene regulation during the cell cycle.

In contrast, prokaryotic chromosomes, typically found in bacteria, usually consist of a single circular DNA molecule that is not wrapped around histones. Instead, prokaryotic DNA is associated with different types of proteins that serve to compact the genetic material but do not provide the same level of structural organization as histone proteins do in eukaryotes. This distinction in chromosome structure is fundamental to understanding the differences in genetic organization between these two domains of life.