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What is a nucleus? |
Question Date: 2013-04-25 | | Answer 1:
The nucleus is like the boss of a cell. All
living things are made of cells. Some things are
only one cell big. You and I are made out of so
many cells that you couldn’t count them. Cells
are so small that you need a microscope to see
them. The nucleus is usually the big round thing
you see inside a cell.
The nucleus of the cell is where the DNA is.
DNA has all the recipes that it takes to make a
living thing. The recipe for making you is in
your skin cells, your muscle cells, your liver
cells. There are only a couple of types of cells
in your body that don’t have all of the directions
for making you. It is sort of like the brain of
the cell.
If you took one of your cells, and grew a new
person from them, would that person be just like
you? They would have the same DNA, but would they
be different because different things would happen
to them when they were growing up?
If you like to learn about cells, you may want
to study cell biology.
| | Answer 2:
Thanks for asking! A nucleus of an atom is the
place where the protons and neutrons are found. A
proton is a very small particle that has positive
electrical charge, and a neutron is an equally
small particle that has no charge. Outside of the
nucleus are electrons that orbit, meaning they
spin very close to the nucleus. The electron is
even smaller than the proton or neutron and has a
negative electrical charge. Because the electron
is negative and the proton is positive, they are
attracted to each other, and so electrons like to
orbit around the nucleus. Electrons never fall
into the nucleus because they are moving too fast
around it. Both protons and neutrons make up the
weight of an atom (the electron is so tiny that it
is almost weightless). For example, a hydrogen
atom has just one proton and one electron (but no
neutron), and is the lightest atom we know. A
helium atom is slightly heavier with two protons,
two neutrons, and two electrons. Hydrogen and
helium are both very common light gases that we
use every day. If we had a big enough microscope,
we could actually see the nucleus with all its
protons and neutrons!
| | Answer 3:
The answer to your question depends on what
kind of science we are talking about! In physics
or chemistry, a nucleus refers to the object at
the core of an atom. A nucleus of an atom usually
contains protons, which are particles with a
positive charge, and neutrons, which are particles
that are neutrally charged (no charge).
On the other hand, in biology, the nucleus of a
cell is many times larger than the nucleus of an
atom. The nucleus of a cell typically holds DNA,
proteins, RNA, and other important chemicals!
| | Answer 4:
In biology, a nucleus is kind of like the
"control center" of a cell because it gives
instructions to the cell and contains the cell's
genetic information such as DNA.It helps control
eating, movement, and reproduction of the cell and
only found in eukaryotic cells. The nucleus is
surrounded by a membrane called the nuclear
membrane and it protects the nucleus from dangers
outside, but it is also porous as to allow certain
things to come in and to go out.
It is also an area in which protons and neutrons
are composed.
| | Answer 5:
A nucleus is a mass in the middle of the cell
that is surrounded by a membrane. The membrane
allows for the nucleus to be separated from the
cytoplasm and the rest of the cell. Just like how
we have a brain to control our movements,
emotions, and our body, cells have a nucleus to
control its functions, like cell growth and
reproduction. It also contains the genetic
material for the cells, like chromosomes, which
have DNA.
| | Answer 6:
The term 'nucleus' is used to mean many different
things in many different contexts, so I cannot
answer your question based on this alone.
In physics, a nucleus refers to the nucleus of an
atom, which is composed of protons and neutrons.
In biology, the nucleus of a cell contains the
cell's DNA.
In meteorology (weather science), a nucleus is
a particle of dirt or salt or something that water
condenses onto, creating a cloud droplet or ice
crystal.
In astronomy, a nucleus is the interior bulge
in the middle of a spiral or disk-shaped galaxy
and contains older stars and less plasma and dust
than the spiral arms.
| | Answer 7:
A nucleus is the center of an atom, where the
subatomic particles are. All atoms are made of
three subatomic ("smaller than an atom")
particles: neutrons, protons, and electrons. The
neutrons and protons are in the nucleus, and they
give an atom most of its mass, and positive
charge. The electrons are negatively charged, and
surround the nucleus to balance the charge, but
there is a huge empty space between the nucleus
and the electrons. The nucleus is so small
compared to the volume that electrons take up over
99% of atoms are empty space, but somehow
everything feels pretty solid! (electrons move
around inside a large volume that we call the
atom, but each electron is very small if you treat
it like a particle. You'll learn later you can
treat it like a wave, but don't worry about that
yet.) Click Here to return to the search form.
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