Compare And Contrast The Structure Of Nucleus And Function

1.) Structure of nucleus and function

For being so small the nucleus packs a ton of information and subspaces into it. Our DNA has the blueprints for every protein in our body, all packaged into a neat double helix. The processes to transform DNA into proteins are known as transcription and translation, and happen in different compartments within the cell. The first step, transcription, happens in the nucleus, which holds our DNA. A membrane called the nuclear envelope surrounds the nucleus, and its job is to create a room within the cell to both protect the genetic information and to house all the molecules that are involved in processing and protecting that info. This membrane is actually a set of two lipid bilayers, so there are four sheets of lipids separating the inside of the nucleus from the cytoplasm. The space between the two bilayers is known as the perinuclear space.

Proteins channels known as nuclear pores form holes in the nuclear envelope. The nucleus itself is filled with liquid (called nucleoplasm) and is similar in structure and function to cytoplasm. It is here within the nucleoplasm where chromosomes (tightly packed strands of DNA containing all our blueprints) are found. Within the nucleus is a small subspace known as the nucleolus. It is not bound by a membrane, so it is not an organelle. This space forms near the part of DNA with instructions for making ribosomes, the molecules responsible for making proteins. Ribosomes are assembled in the nucleolus, and exit the nucleus with nuclear pores. In our analogy, the robots making our product are made in a special corner of the blueprint room, before being released to the