Nuclear membrane

membrane part of the nuclear envelope

The nuclear membrane (or nuclear envelope) is the membrane inside a cell around the nucleus. It has the genetic material (chromosomes and DNA) and the nucleolus inside it.[1][2][3] The membrane forms a double layer.[4] It is connected to another group of membranes in the cell, the endoplasmic reticulum.

The nuclear envelope is a double layer of membrane, with pores that are protein complexes.
Detail of the nuclear envelope structure

The membranes or envelope is a double lipid bilayerd membrane which surrounds the chromosomes and nucleolus in eukaryotic cells.[3]

The nuclear membrane has thousands of nuclear pores. They are large hollow proteins about 100 nm across, with an inner channel about 40 nm wide.[4] They link the inner and outer nuclear membranes.

During cell division, the nuclear membrane breaks down to allow mitosis to take place.

References change

  1. "Nuclear membrane". Biology Dictionary. Biology Online. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  2. "nuclear membrane". Merriam Webster. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "The inner nuclear membrane: simple, or very complex?". The EMBO Journal. April 19, 2001. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Hetzer, Mertin (2010). "The nuclear envelope". National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2 (3): a000539. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a000539. PMC 2829960. PMID 20300205.