And it represents simply an aggregate of the DNA of the chromosomes of the bacterium. And, in most bacteria, the DNA consists of only a single molecule of DNA which is responsible for carrying the genetic information of the bacteria. There’s no membrane around this nucleoid. And outside of this area where the DNA is kept are largely ribosomes which are important for protein synthesis. There’s a membrane on the outside of this called the plasma membrane, very similar to the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells.