biology Cytoplasm The living contents of the eukaryotic cell are divided into nucleus and the cytoplasm, the two collectively form protoplasm. Cytoplasm consists of an aqueous ground substance containing a variety of cell organelles and other inclusions such as insoluble wastes and storage products. The soluble part of the cytoplasm is called cytosol. It forms the ground substance of the cytoplasm.
Chemically it is about 90% water. It forms a solution containing all the fundamental molecules of life. In the cytosol, small molecules and ions may form true solutions, and some large molecules form colloidal solutions. Colloidal solution may be a sol (non-viscous) or a gel (viscous). Peripheral parts of the cell are often like a gel.
The most important function of the cytoplasm is to act as a store house of vital chemicals. It is also a site for certain metabolic processes such as glycolysis.
In living cells the cytoplasm contains several cell organelles such as endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, Golgi complex, nucleus, plastids, ribosomes, lysosomes and centriole. The free floating cell organelles e.g. mitochondria move about in cytoplasm due to cytoplasmic streaming movements. This is an active mass movement of cytoplasm.
