Cytoplasm

A cell has a boundary called the cell membrane, with cytoplasm inside it. Cytoplasm is the material in which many of the cell's chemical reactions take place. Cells also contain genetic material: DNA, which carries genetic information.

Bacterial cells are prokaryotic: they have no nucleus, so their chromosomal DNA lies in the cytoplasm. Bacteria are generally much smaller than animal and plant cells, but they still carry out the processes needed for life.