Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm is the material inside a cell membrane, comprising cytosol and cellular structures. In eukaryotic cells, it excludes the nucleus.
Cytosol: The aqueous fluid component of the cytoplasm, excluding membrane-bound organelles and other large structures. It is the fluid phase in which many cytoplasmic molecules and structures are suspended.
Intracellular transport: The movement of molecules and structures within a cell, often along cytoskeletal tracks. It distributes cargo through the cytoplasm and between cellular compartments.
Protein synthesis: The cellular process of producing proteins from genetic instructions through transcription and translation. Translation by cytoplasmic ribosomes produces many proteins used throughout the cell.
Protoplasm: The living contents of a cell, historically including both cytoplasm and nucleus. Unlike cytoplasm, the term traditionally includes the eukaryotic nucleus.
Organelle: A specialized structure within a cell that performs a distinct function, often enclosed by a membrane. Organelles are among the structures included in eukaryotic cytoplasm.
Cytoplasmic streaming: The directed flow of cytoplasm within some cells, driven by motor proteins and cytoskeletal interactions. It moves organelles and materials through the cytoplasm in large cells.
Autophagy: A regulated process by which cells deliver components to lysosomes for degradation and recycling. It clears or recycles cytoplasmic material, including damaged organelles.
Cell membrane: A selectively permeable boundary that encloses a cell and separates its interior from its surroundings. It marks the outer boundary of the cytoplasm.
Cytoskeleton: A network of protein filaments that supports cell shape, organization, movement, and intracellular transport. Its filaments organize the cytoplasm and help move materials through it.
Molecular crowding: The effects of high concentrations of macromolecules on molecular movement and reactions in cells. Cytoplasm is densely packed, so reactions and diffusion differ from dilute solutions.