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The proportion of cell volume that is cytosol varies: for example while this compartment forms the bulk of cell structure in bacteria, [9] in plant cells the main compartment is the large central vacuole. [10] The cytosol consists mostly of water, dissolved ions, small molecules, and large water-soluble molecules (such as proteins).
Light micrograph of a moss's leaf cells at 400X magnification. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to cell biology: . Cell biology – A branch of biology that includes study of cells regarding their physiological properties, structure, and function; the organelles they contain; interactions with their environment; and their life cycle, division, and death.
Organelles (literally "little organs") are usually membrane-bound structures inside the cell that have specific functions. Some major organelles that are suspended in the cytosol are the mitochondria , the endoplasmic reticulum , the Golgi apparatus , vacuoles , lysosomes , and in plant cells, chloroplasts .
Through this process, sugars, amino acids, and other monomers pass into the cytosol and become nutrients for the cell. Lysosomes also use their hydrolytic enzymes to recycle the cell's obsolete organelles in a process called autophagy. The lysosome engulfs another organelle and uses its enzymes to take apart the ingested material.
Cellular compartments in cell biology comprise all of the closed parts within the cytosol of a eukaryotic cell, usually surrounded by a single or double lipid layer membrane. These compartments are often, but not always, defined as membrane-bound organelles. The formation of cellular compartments is called compartmentalization.
Cross-sectional view of the structures that can be formed by phospholipids in an aqueous solution. A biological membrane, biomembrane or cell membrane is a selectively permeable membrane that separates the interior of a cell from the external environment or creates intracellular compartments by serving as a boundary between one part of the cell and another.
There are numerous types of organelles with a wide variety of functions, including the various compartments of the endomembrane system (e.g. the nuclear envelope, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus), mitochondria, chloroplasts, lysosomes, endosomes, and vacuoles, among others. Many organelles are unique to particular cell types or species.
The intracellular fluid (ICF) is all fluids contained inside the cells, which consists of cytosol and fluid in the cell nucleus. [3] The cytosol is the matrix in which cellular organelles are suspended. The cytosol and organelles together compose the cytoplasm. The cell membranes are the outer barrier.