Compare And Contrast The Structure And Functions Of The Nucleus

The Structure and Function of the Nucleus

The most distinguishing feature between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is that eukaryotes have a nucleus, the word eukaryotic translates to “true nucleus” whereas prokaryotic refers to “before nucleus” (Hogg, 2013). After a brief look at how prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differ in structure and a swift history lesson of the nucleus, we will look at the structure and function of the nucleus including the structure of its components, the nucleolus, nucleoplasm, chromatin, nuclear envelope and the nuclear pores and how they work to aid the nucleus to function.

Cells are the building blocks of all living things, they carry the genetic make-up and help fight diseases with a living organism, additionally

This double-membraned organelle contains the genetic information known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (figure 1) and is the largest cellular organelle (Ackerman & Aspinall, 2016).

Figure 1: DNA inside the nucleus (Lakna, 2017)

The nucleus was first discovered in 1672 by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek who studied the red blood cells of salmon and founded the ‘lumen’ and in 1831 Robert Brown studied orchid root cells and renamed it the ‘nucleus’. In 1882, Eduard Strasburger devised the term nucleoplasm and linked the nucleus to heredity information then around the 1940’s Joachim Hammerling demonstrated that the nucleus was the controller of eukaryotic cells (Rogers, 2011).

As previously stated the nucleus stores the cells genetic information DNA, which in mitosis passes genetic information onto daughter cells for cell division (Lawhead & Baker, 2016). The nucleus also decides which protein molecules are produced by creating ribonucleic acid (RNA) to regulate the synthesis of various enzymes cells needed for activities such as growth, metabolism and reproduction (Lippincott, 2002). Furthermore, the nucleus, by repressing certain genes, aids cell evolution by allowing genetic variation and cell