How do eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA differ in terms of introns?

Eukaryotic DNA is characterized by the presence of introns, which are non-coding sequences that are interspersed among coding regions called exons. During the process of gene expression, introns are spliced out of the primary RNA transcript, while the exons are joined together to form the final mRNA that is translated into protein. This splicing process is a significant aspect of eukaryotic gene regulation and allows for alternative splicing, which can lead to the production of multiple protein variants from a single gene.

In contrast, prokaryotic DNA typically lacks introns. Prokaryotes, such as bacteria, have a simpler organization of their genetic material, and their genes are usually contiguous sequences that do not contain non-coding regions like introns. As a result, prokaryotic DNA is typically transcribed into mRNA that directly aligns with the coding sequences, allowing for efficient protein synthesis.

This distinction highlights a fundamental difference in gene structure and regulation between eukaryotes and prokaryotes, which is why the correct answer focuses exclusively on eukaryotic DNA containing introns.