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Nucleus: The Head Quarter of Cell

The nucleus is the control center of eukaryotic cells. It contains the cell's DNA and directs the synthesis of RNA and proteins. The nucleus is enclosed by a double membrane and contains chromatin, nucleoli, and nuclear pores that regulate transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm. The nucleus stores and transfers genetic information during cell division and is essential for controlling cell activities and growth.

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99 views11 pages

Nucleus: The Head Quarter of Cell

The nucleus is the control center of eukaryotic cells. It contains the cell's DNA and directs the synthesis of RNA and proteins. The nucleus is enclosed by a double membrane and contains chromatin, nucleoli, and nuclear pores that regulate transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm. The nucleus stores and transfers genetic information during cell division and is essential for controlling cell activities and growth.

Uploaded by

JigarS.Mehta
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NUCLEUS

the head quarter of cell


Robert Brown (1831) discovered nucleus in cells of an orchid. It is the
principal organelle of the cell.

The membrane-bound nucleus is the most prominent feature of the


eucaryotic cells.

• In prokaryotic cells it is membrane less but performs similar function.

•Some cells like sieve tubes of vascular plants and RBC of mammals possess
nucleus when they are young, but it degenerates when cells mature.

•In the centre of eukaryotic cell, very important cell organelle is located
which is named as nucleus.

• The nucleus is differentiated from the cytoplasm due to the present of a


membranous structure called nuclear membrane or nuclear envelope.

• In prokaryotic cells the nuclear envelope is absent, thus no distinct nucleus


is present.
• The shape of the nucleus is generally spherical but it may slightly irregular.
•Nucleus contains DNA and is the control and
information centre for eukaryotic cell.

•It has two major functions.

•The nucleus directs chemical reactions in cells by


transcribing genetic information from DNA to RNA,
which then translates this specific information
into proteins like enzymes that determine the cell’s
specific activities.

•Nucleus also stores genetic information and


transfers it during cell division from one cell to the
next and from one generation of organisms to the
next. Nucleus comprises of nuclear envelope,
chromosomes and nucleolus.
Nuclear envelope:
•It is gateway to nucleus.

•The nuclear envelope is a structure that separates the nucleus


from the cytoplasm that is continuous with endoplasmic
reticulum at number of points.

•It acts as a barrier between the contents of the nucleus and


cytoplasm. The nuclear envelope is made up of two layers, other
nuclear membrane and inner nuclear membrane.

•The structure and chemical composition of these membranes is


the same as that of the cell membrane.

•There is present space between two nuclear envelopes layers the


cisternae.

•Outer layer may be continuous with endoplasmic reticulum,


cytoplasm and adjacent cells or exterior.
Nuclear pore:
•Nuclear membrane has at places small pores called nuclear
pores that are formed by the fusion of two layers of nuclear
envelope.

•In addition to fusion of two layers of nuclear envelope, the


pore is composed of an ordered array of globular and
filamentous granules forming nuclear pore complex. These
granules are made up of protein.
These nuclear pores control the transport of different molecules into and out of the
nucleus.

Size of pore is also important as it allows specific sized molecules to pass through.

Generally it presents the movement of DNA but permits RNA to be moved out.

These pores also provide direct contact of nucleus to the cytoplasm, endoplasmic
reticulum or event to the exterior through endoplasmic reticulum.

Number of pores present in the nucleus is variable and depends upon specific function
of that particular cell.

The nucleus of undifferentiated cells like eggs may have over thirty thousand pores while
the differentiated cell like eukaryocytes may have only three or four pores in single
nucleus. In majority of cells nuclear pores may exceed over three thousand in single
nuclear envelope.
Nucleolus:
It is permeable point for ribosomes.

Nucleus contains one or two discrete non membrane bound structure


called nucleolus in the nucleoplasm of non-dividing cells.

Sometimes the number of nucleoli may be two or more, even in


thousands in case of amphibian egg.

They can be readily stained with basophilic dyes; chemically the


nucleoli are composed of nucleic acids, especially the ribnucleic acid
(RNA) and some proteins.

Nucleolus is pre assembly points for ribosomes in many stages of


synthesis and assembly.

Assembly of ribosome is completed after they leave the nucleus


through pores of nuclear envelope into cytoplasm where they are helpful
in protein synthesis.
Functions of Cell Nucleus:

Speaking about the functions of a cell nucleus, it controls the hereditary characteristics of
an organism.

This organelle is also responsible for the protein synthesis, cell division, growth and
differentiation.

 Here is a list of the important functions carried out by a cell nucleus.

Storage of hereditary material, the genes in the form of long and thin DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) strands, referred to as chromatin.

Storage of proteins and RNA (ribonucleic acid) in the nucleolus.

Nucleus is a site for transcription in which messenger RNA (mRNA) are produced for protein
synthesis.

Exchange of hereditary molecules (DNA and RNA) between the nucleus and the rest of the
cell.
During the cell division, chromatins are arranged into chromosomes in the
nucleus.

Production of ribosomes (protein factories) in the nucleolus.

Selective transportation of regulatory factors and energy molecules through


nuclear pores.

As the nucleus regulates the integrity of genes and gene expression, it is also
referred to as the control center of a cell. The nucleus contains all the genetic
material of an organism like chromosomes, DNA, genes, etc.

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