Cell nucleus

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cell-nucleus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Nucleus (from Latin 'nucleus', meaning 'kernel')
2. What is the cellular location?Central organelle in eukaryotic cells, enclosed by the nuclear envelope
3. What is the nucleus and why is it called a tiny brain?The nucleus is a small organelle inside cells that holds and controls the cell's DNA, like a brain that tells the cell what to do. It is called a tiny brain because it directs many functions of the cell.
4. How does the nuclear envelope keep the nucleus special inside the cell?The nuclear envelope is a double membrane with pores that let only certain molecules in and out. This keeps the inside of the nucleus separate from the rest of the cell, helping the cell manage its genes.

Eukaryote: An organism whose cells contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.
Nuclear Envelope: A double membrane surrounding the nucleus, regulating molecular traffic via nuclear pores.
Chromatin: The complex of DNA and proteins that forms chromosomes within the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.
Gene Expression: The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product, like a protein.