Two-Way Traffic Between Nucleus and Cytoplasm: Cell Surgery Studies on Acetabularia

In contrast to prokaryotes the eukaryotic cell is distinguished by a nuclear membrane separating the cell nucleus where replication and transcription occurs and the cytoplasm where the mRNAs originating from the nucleus are translated. Why eukaryotic cells developed this compartmentation cannot as yet be definitely answered. One possible function for the nuclear membrane may be a controlled transport from the nucleus into the cytoplasm or vice versa and therefore may play a role in gene expression.