The Nucleus Brain of the Cell

Brain of the Cell

The nucleus is literally a membrane-bound organelle and is surrounded by a double membrane. I feel that the nucleus is of the greatest importance in the cell because it is the control center that oversees the metabolic functioning of the cell and it directs all the cells activities. The nucleus is like the head of the cell and without a head the rest of the body is useless. It is the largest organelle and within the nucleus is the DNA responsible for providing the cell with its unique characteristics. The nucleus is the brain of eukaryotic cells. It is only present in eukaryotic cells (which are eukaryotic because they have a nucleus) and there is only one of these organelles in each cell.

Being the largest organelle in the cell, the appearance of the nucleus is quite unique. It is the most obvious organelle in any eukaryotic cell, composing about 10% of the total volume of the cell and is found near the center of the cell. Usually the nucleus is round and is surrounded by a membrane, called the nuclear envelope, which is similar to the cell membrane that encloses the entire cell. The envelope is riddled with holes, called nuclear pores which allow specific materials to pass in and out of the nucleus. The nucleus is surrounded by the cytoplasm inside a cell. In the nucleus, there are masses of threads called chromatin, which is indistinct in the nondividing cell, but it condenses to chromosomes at the time of cell division. This is where the DNA resides. The most prominent structure in the nucleus is the nucleolus which produces ribosomal RNA or rRNA.

Multicellular organisms consist of many cells that are specialized for one particular function and carry it out very efficiently. The labor in a eukaryotic cell is divided with each part of the cell doing its job so as to ensure the survival of the cell itself. The importance of the nucleus lies in its function as the storage site for DNA, our genetic material. Not only that, but the nucleus is also the site for DNA and RNA synthesis. In addition to that, the nucleus is what controls when the cell produces what proteins, when, and where, it controls growth, and it regulates metabolism.