Do prokaryotes have ribosomes?

Prokaryotic cells contain ribosomes to handle their protein production. The ribosomes in prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, are free floating in the cytosol of the cell rather than bound inside a nuclear membrane; this is because prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus.

The ribosomes in prokaryotes have the same basic function and core structure as the ribosomes in eukaryotes. They both use similar chemical reactions to turn amino acids into proteins. However, eukaryotic ribosomes are larger, comprised of different proteins and differ in their ratio of protein to RNA. Prokaryotic cells generally contain tens of thousands of ribosomes, while eukaryotic cells can have up to a few million.