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 bilayer 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

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  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.