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Related Concept Videos

Cytoplasm01:24

Cytoplasm

5.7K
The cytoplasm consists of organelles and a framework of protein scaffolds called the cytoskeleton suspended in an aqueous solution, the cytosol. The cytosol is a rich broth of water, ions, salts, and various organic molecules.
Protein Folding and Misfolding
The cytoplasm is the location for several cellular processes, including protein synthesis and folding. The aqueous nature of the cytosol promotes protein folding such that the hydrophobic amino acid side chains are buried in the protein...
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Distribution of Cytoplasmic Content02:33

Distribution of Cytoplasmic Content

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Cytokinesis segregates a cell’s chromosomes and organelles into its daughter cells. Organelles divide and grow prior to cell division but cannot be synthesized de novo; therefore, cells must receive at least one copy of each organelle to survive. Currently, many of the details of how the organelles are distributed are not yet fully elucidated.
Distribution of cytoplasmic determinants
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Polarity of the Cytoskeleton01:18

Polarity of the Cytoskeleton

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The intrinsic polarity of cells can be primarily attributed to two factors- i) the asymmetric accumulation of mobile components such are regulatory molecules and subcellular components across the cell and ii) the orientation of polar cytoskeletal filaments that make up the cytoskeletal networks, specifically microfilaments, and microtubules arranged along the axis of polarity. Interactions between the cytoskeletal filaments are crucial for the establishment and maintenance of the polar nature...
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The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles01:43

The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles

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In eukaryotic cells,  cytoskeletal filaments such as actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments form a mesh-like cytoskeletal network. These filaments serve as tracks for transporting cellular cargo. Specialized motor proteins use the chemical energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for this transport. During interphase, microtubules are polarized, with the plus-end towards the cell periphery and the minus-end towards the cell center. Two microtubule-associated motor proteins,...
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Eukaryotic Compartmentalization01:37

Eukaryotic Compartmentalization

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One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal...
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Introduction to the Cytoskeleton01:33

Introduction to the Cytoskeleton

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Overview of the Cytoskeleton
The cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments present within the cell, having three distinct filaments ̶   microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. Each has characteristic features that distinguish them, including the dynamics of their assembly and disassembly, mechanical properties, polarity, and the type of molecular motors associated with them. Earlier, they were thought to be present only in eukaryotic cells; however, their...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2025

The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton
08:50

The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton

Published on: March 10, 2023

796

Cytoplasm mechanics and cellular organization.

María Isabel Arjona1, Javad Najafi1, Nicolas Minc1

  • 1Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75006 Paris, France; Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, France.

Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|November 18, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cytoplasm's physical properties, like stiffness, significantly resist organelle movement within cells. Understanding these viscoelastic forces is key to cell organization and division.

Keywords:
Cell divisionCytoplasmMechanobiologyOrganellesViscoelasticity

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Cytoskeletal Dynamics

Background:

  • Cells spatially organize and divide by translocating micron-scale organelles.
  • Organelle motion is driven by cytoskeleton forces but opposed by cytoplasm's viscoelastic resistance.
  • Cytoplasm physical properties are often underappreciated yet significantly impact organelle dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review emerging methods, mechanisms, and concepts for studying cytoplasm mechanical properties.
  • To explore the role of cytoplasm mechanics in organelle positioning, cellular organization, and division.

Main Methods:

  • Review of emerging techniques for analyzing cytoplasm mechanics.
  • Examination of biophysical principles governing organelle-cytoplasm interactions.
  • Integration of concepts from cell biology and physics.

Main Results:

  • Cytoplasm viscoelasticity exerts significant resistive forces on organelle motion.
  • Cytoplasm properties can be labile, varying in space and time (e.g., stiffness, fluidity).
  • These mechanical properties actively contribute to cellular organization and division processes.

Conclusions:

  • Cytoplasm mechanics is a crucial, yet often overlooked, factor in cellular organization.
  • Further research into cytoplasm physical properties will illuminate fundamental cell processes.
  • Understanding cytoplasm mechanics offers new perspectives on organelle positioning and cell division.