Cytoplasm Animal Cell Function

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Maxim Peptide

Cytoplasm contains a gel substance
called cytosol that is contained within a
cell membrane and organelles of animal
cells of sub-structures. The contents of
any prokaryote organisms that do not
have a nucleus will be housed in the
cytoplasm, but eukaryote organisms that
have a nucleus will separate this material
from the cytoplasm in an area known as
the nucleoplasm. In most cases the
cytoplasm is !-"! percent water and is a
colorless material. Cytoplasm can be #elly
like or li$uid, though this depends on what
type of cell it is in and how that cell is
designed to interact with the body.
%ost cellular devices occur within the
cytoplasm including the metabolic
pathways such as cell division or glycolysis. &ranular and inner mass known as the endoplasm as well as the clear,
glassy outer layer known as the cell corte' and ectoplasm are controlled within the cytoplasm. %ovement of
calcium ions throughout the cytoplasm are believed to signal metabolic processes and activity in animals. The
movement of the cytoplasm around the vacuoles, a process known as cytoplasmic streaming, is used to signal this
process in plants.
Constituents of the Cystoplasm
Cytoplasm contains three ma#or elements that are used to signal its effects in different parts of the cells.
(rganelles, or the membrane bound structures within the cells are given specific functions that contribute to the
larger functionality of the cell. %a#or organelles such as the endoplamic reticulum, mitochondria, vacuoles, &olgi
apparatus, lysosomes and chloroplasts in plants can be suspended in this area of the cytosol.
Cortosol is contained in cytoplasm that is found within organelles that are membrane bound. This can make up
almost ! percent of the volume of a cell and contains organic molecules, salts and water. )ecause the network
of fibers and dissolved macromolecules including proteins is very high in cortisol, macromolecular crowding can
occur here if the cortosol is not at an ideal solution. This can alter how the components interact.
Cortosol is made from a combination of dissolved molecules, cytoskeleton filaments and water, though it also
contains the protein filaments that create the cytoskeleton and structures including the ribosome, vault
comple'es and proteasomes. The fluid portion of this type of cytoplasm is known as the endoplasm.
Cytotoplasmic inclusions, small insoluble substances that are suspended within the cytosol are included in a wide
variety of cell types in animals as well as silicon dio'ide and calcium o'alate in plants which can be converted into
glycogen, starch or polyhydro'ybutyrate for energy.
These are commonly seen as lipid droplets that are made up of lipids and protein that can be stored as sterols or
fatty acids that are used for energy. These lipid droplets are a ma#ority of the adipocyte volume in cells that are
specially designed to store lipids, though other cells may hold these as necessary.
Viewing Cystoplasm at a Microscopic Level
)ecause cells are too small to be seen by the naked eye, there is no way to observe or understand cytoplasm
without viewing it through a microscope lens.
*nlike the organelles of a cell, the cytoplasm does not take on any particular shape or function that can be
distinctly recogni+ed, but rather helps to make up the body of the cell which provides additional structure for the
vital portions of this body.
,hen viewed through an electron microscope the cytoplasm of the cells can be viewed in intimate detail.
Animal cells can be seen as a three dimensional shape that contains strands of protein set in a lattice pattern.
This is known as the microtrabecular lattice that is designed to interlace with other structures in the cytoplasm to
hold other structures in place. This discovery helped scientists to reali+e that the cytoplasm was not actually a
solid mass, but a group of lattes that are interconnected to create something of a fence that would hold together
the rest of the cells and prevent the organelles from shifting.
The cytoplasm contains a cytoskeleton. -ot only does this help to provide a shape for the cell but these
cytoplasmic filaments help the cell to move as necessary. The alignment of these filaments will vary based on
the needs and shape of the given cell.
The cytoplasm can also contain a variety of salts that are capable of conducting electricity. A cell can use these
properties to power the mechanics of the cell as necessary. This function will vary based on how the cell
interacts with the rest of the body and the specific task the cell is desired to take on.
In addition to helping to provide structure for the cell, the cytoplasm can be used to dissolve waste and nutrients.
The cell can use these filaments to move and move materials throughout the cell by using cytoplasmic streaming, a
process that creates a churning motion within the cell body. The nucleus is capable of changing the shape of the
cytoplasm, flowing throughout the mass as the cell moves.
Research and Potential Controversies
Cytoplasm and many of the known organelles in a cell are designed from maternal gamete which is still being
researched for a full understanding of its functionality.
There is not a great deal of e'isting research on the maternal inheritance and cytoplasmic inheritance of
mitochondrial .-A compared to genomic .-A or that shared within the cell nucleus.
%any traits or items within a cell that have been labeled as female have not been researched to their full e'tent.
The cytoplasm is one of the ob#ects that has fallen into this category, with the nucleus being labelled as male
and therefore receiving more attention from researchers. This is similar to the sperm and egg being gendered in
a full si+ed animal body. It is generally believed that both the cytoplasm and the nucleus are essential to
creating new life through cell division.
%uch of the older information surrounding the cytoplasm was based on the idea that it was a passive part of the
cell, e'isting to provide structure for the active elements that encouraged cellular behavior. This outdated
understanding of the cytoplasm has been replaced as scientists have discovered that the cytoplasm is used to
encourage viscoplastic behavior. This helps to move nutrients in and out of the cell to fuel the other organelles.
This also helps to move the cell as necessary throughout the body so cells may interact with one another. The
reciprocal rate of broken bonds within the cytoplasmic network that helps to create these reactions can be
measured and reported, creating a better understanding of the different functions of a variety of types of cells within
an animal.
Cytoplasm may also be referred to as protoplasm, or the plasma membrane that surrounds the contents of a cell.
This is a generali+ed term for the water, amino acids, ions, nucleic acids, lipids, proteins and other items that make
up this substance. Cytoplasm is more often used to describe the protoplasm in eukaryotes. It is believed that
eukaryotes contain a protoplasm that is divisible into a cytoplasm that provides structure and is controlled by the
nucleus of a cell that has developed electron microscopy.
This was originally believed to be because cytoplasm was a homogeneous fluid that simply e'isted to help cells
maintain their shape, but it is now known that cells contain a variety of substances and organelles that assist with
the functionality of the cell.

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http011en.wikipedia.org1wiki1Cytoplasm
http011www.fi.edu1$a"1biology1cells1cell2.html
http011en.wikipedia.org1wiki13rotoplasm