In what form is genetic material (DNA) found in prokaryotes?

Correct answer: Naked and without a nuclear membrane (nucleoid)

Prokaryotes do not have a true, membrane-bound nucleus. Their DNA is generally present as a concentrated region in the cytoplasm called the nucleoid. This genetic material is often described as naked because it is not enclosed by a nuclear membrane. Prokaryotic cells may also contain small circular DNA molecules called plasmids, but the main chromosome remains in the nucleoid region. This structure is one important difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Option B is correct because it states that prokaryotic DNA is naked and lies in a nucleoid without a nuclear membrane. Option A describes eukaryotic cells, whose DNA is enclosed in a nucleus. Option C is incorrect because prokaryotes possess DNA, although some genetic material may also occur in plasmids. Option D is therefore false as well. The word “nucleoid” does not mean a true nucleus; it means the DNA-containing region of a prokaryotic cell.