YOU ARE LEARNING:
The Cytoplasm
The Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm is the gel-like fluid inside cells.
Where you find the cytoplasm
Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have cytoplasm.
Where inside the cell is the cytoplasm?
So the cytoplasm fills out the space inside the cell
It's the substance that the organelles, like the nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes etc. "swim around" in.
What do you think the cytoplasm is like?
The function of the cytoplasm
Think of organelles as buildings in a city and the cytoplasm as the space in-between the buildings. What happens in the cytoplasm?
So the cytoplasm allows molecules to get transported around inside the cell, but it also has another function. Which one, do you think?
Summary!
All cells have cytoplasm
Prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic cells.
The cytoplasm is a gel-like fluid that fills out the inside of the cell
It is the fluid that the organelles "swim around" in, but there is no cytoplasm inside the organelles themselves.
The cytoplasm has two main functions
It allows for molecules to be transported between organelles, and it allows for chemical reactions to take place inside the cell.