Knowra Cytosol Cytosol The aqueous fluid inside a cell, excluding membrane-bound organelles and, in eukaryotes, the nucleus. It contains dissolved molecules and suspended structures where many cellular reactions occur.
Water : A polar molecule composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, serving as the main solvent in cells. Water makes up most cytosol and dissolves many of its ions and metabolites.
Molecular diffusion : The net movement of molecules from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration. Diffusion moves small molecules through cytosol, though crowding and binding can slow it.
Metabolic pathway : A linked series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions that transforms molecules in a cell or organism. Many central metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, take place in cytosol.
Nucleoplasm : The fluid and molecular contents inside the nucleus, excluding chromatin and other distinct structures. In eukaryotic cells, the nucleus separates nucleoplasm from cytosol.
Cytoplasm : The contents of a cell between the plasma membrane and nucleus, including cytosol, organelles, and other structures. Cytosol is the fluid component of this broader cellular region.
Cytoplasmic streaming : The directed circulation of cytoplasm within some cells, driven by cytoskeletal motors. Streaming mixes cytosolic contents and transports materials over distances diffusion handles poorly.
Stress granule : A temporary cytoplasmic assembly of proteins and RNA formed when cells experience stress. Stress granules reorganize cytosolic RNA and proteins without a surrounding membrane.
Mitochondrial matrix : The innermost compartment of a mitochondrion, enclosed by its inner membrane. Its aqueous environment resembles cytosol but is enclosed within an organelle.
Macromolecular crowding : The dense packing of large molecules in cells, which changes molecular motion and reaction behavior. Cytosolic proteins and other molecules occupy substantial volume, shaping reactions and diffusion.
Glycolysis : A sequence of cytosolic reactions that converts glucose into pyruvate while generating ATP and NADH. It is a canonical metabolic pathway carried out in the cytosol.
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