Pivot Point The Building Blocks of the Human Body 105E.01 Practice Test

The nucleus serves as the control center of the cell, housing the DNA that carries the instructions for making proteins and regulating cellular activities. By controlling gene expression, it determines which enzymes and other proteins are produced, tying directly into how metabolism is managed and how the cell carries out growth and function. It also directs reproduction by coordinating DNA replication and cell division. The outer surface of the cell is the plasma membrane, not the nucleus. The cytoplasm is the material inside the cell excluding the nucleus. Protoplasm is an older term for the living content of the cell and includes both the nucleus and cytoplasm, not just the nucleus alone.