Pictures

Click for a larger image Microsoft Encarta

Diagrams

Click on Picture for a larger image. Microsoft Encarta	Click on Picture for a larger image. Microsoft Encarta

Function:

    Cytoplasm is made up of all of a cell's internal contents, so all the organelles except the nucleus. Cytoplasm is composed of 65% water, with as much as a billion molecules contained within the cytoplasm of one single cell. The cytoplasm contains enzymes, and dissolved nutrients like amino acids and sugars. The water allows for reactions to occur within the cell (Microsoft Encarta)

    DNA is contained in the cytoplasm of prokaryotes. Also in prokaryotic cytoplasm there are ribosomes, which produce proteins, such as enzymes and transport proteins (Microsoft Encarta). Cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells is similar to that in the prokaryotic cells except that eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus, which contains the DNA.
 
 

Working Together:

    The cytoplasm works with many other organelles as the cytoplasm contains all the organelles of the cell. In the Eukaryotic cell the nucleus is located within the interior of the cell but it is surrounded by a membrane to protect the DNA from reactions that occur in the cytoplasm that could damage the DNA. There are nuclear pores in the membrane which allows the cytoplasm to communicate with the DNA, and the pores allow for proteins created in the nucleus to be released into the cytoplasm. RNA from the nucleus will travel from the nucleus into the cytoplasm where they link together with a ribosome. Once there, transport RNA moves through the cytoplasm to acquire amino acids which are stored in the cytoplasm in order to create proteins. Also the endoplasmic reticulum is found in the cytoplasm and it has many ribosomes attached to it. However, there are also ribosomes that float freely within the cytoplasm that create proteins, in particular enzymes for chemical reactions within the cell. Lysosomes found in the cytoplasm break down old organelles and then transport the necessary materials from the breakdown into the cytoplasm, where the materials are used to build new organelles. In the eukaryotic cell, which has much more structure than prokaryotic cells, the cytoskeleton which is composed of protein fibers and tubes, runs through the cytoplasm and holds organelles in a place, thus providing structure to the cell (Microsoft Encarta).