Which organelle is described as the brain of the cell and houses the genetic material?

• A. Ribosome
• B. Golgi apparatus
• C. Nucleus
• D. Lysosome

Answer: (C)

The nucleus acts as the control center of the cell. It houses the genetic material, DNA, which carries all the instructions for making proteins and regulating cellular activities. By organizing genes and controlling when and how they’re expressed, the nucleus directs processes inside the cell. It’s surrounded by a nuclear envelope with pores that regulate what enters and leaves, allowing transcription of DNA into messenger RNA to occur inside while translation happens in the cytoplasm. This central role in managing genetic information and gene expression is why the nucleus is described as the brain of the cell.

Ribosomes are the protein factories that synthesize proteins but don’t contain DNA. The Golgi apparatus modifies, packages, and ships proteins, and lysosomes break down waste and macromolecules; neither houses the cell’s genetic material.