Lesson: The Nucleus Biology • First Year of Secondary School

Students will be able to

• recall that the nucleus is a spherical organelle that contains the genetic material of the cell,
• describe the structure of the nucleus, including the double membrane (nuclear envelope), the nuclear pores, the nucleoplasm, and the nucleolus,
• state that the nucleoplasm contains chromatin,
• describe the structure of a chromatid as a strand of DNA coiled around proteins (histones),
• describe how the structure of chromatin changes into chromosomes as the cell prepares to divide,
• recall that chromosomes contain the genetic material that controls the cell’s activities and is passed from parents to offspring.