nucleus

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.

The nucleoli ( nucleole ) 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

 nucleoplasm

Pathology

 nuclear anomalies

• nuclear position : central , peripheral
• nuclear size
• nuclear shape
• chromatin appearance anomalies / chromatin anomalies

See also

 nuclear appearance
 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