Table : table 16.2 Transcription in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
ProkaryotesEukaryotes
Locations of functionally related genesOften clustered in operonsOften distant from one another with separate promoters
RNA polymerasesOneThree:

  1. transcribes rRNA

  2. transcribes mRNA

  3. transcribes tRNA and small RNAs

Promoters and other regulatory sequencesFewMany
Initiation of transcriptionBinding of RNA polymerase to promoterBinding of many proteins, including RNA polymerase