Nucleus
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Definition: The cellular organelle in eukaryotes that contains the genetic material.
The major components of the nucleus are chromosomes, chromatin, which are dense strands of nucleoprotein fibers holding the genetic material of the cell, and the nuclear matrix, which is a protein-containing fibrillar network. Nucleoli are electron-dense structures that function in the synthesis of ribosomes and rRNA. The fluid suspension of the nucleus is called the nucleoplasm, in which the solutes of the nucleus are dissolved.
Components
See also
nuclear enveloppe (nuclear membrane)
nuclear architecture
functional compartmentalization of the nucleus
References
Oberdoerffer P, Sinclair DA. The role of nuclear architecture in genomic instability and ageing. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2007 Sep;8(9):692-702. PMID: 17700626
Stein GS, Zaidi SK, Braastad CD, Montecino M, van Wijnen AJ, Choi JY, Stein JL, Lian JB, Javed A. Functional architecture of the nucleus : organizing the regulatory machinery for gene expression, replication and repair. Trends Cell Biol. 2003 Nov ;13(11):584-92. PMID : 14573352
Carmo-Fonseca M, Platani M, Swedlow JR. Macromolecular mobility inside the cell nucleus. Trends Cell Biol. 2002 Nov;12(11):491-5. PMID: 12446102