Final answer:
The nuclear lamina, found just inside the nuclear envelope, is a meshwork of intermediate filaments providing structural support to the nucleus. In animal cells, it's bound by proteins of the inner surface of the nuclear envelope, making the correct answer 'a nuclear lamina'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nuclear lamina is a meshwork of intermediate filaments, primarily composed of proteins called lamins, which are positioned just inside the nuclear membrane, or nuclear envelope. It serves to maintain the overall shape and structural integrity of the nucleus. The nuclear envelope itself comprises two lipid bilayers—an inner and an outer membrane—that are continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum. Nuclear pores, which are large protein complexes, are embedded within the nuclear envelope and regulate the movement of molecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm.
In animal cells, the thin filamentous meshwork known as the nuclear lamina is bound by integral membrane proteins of the nuclear envelope's inner surface. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is option (a) nuclear lamina.