Final answer:
The nucleus sends instructions to the cytoplasm by transcribing DNA into mRNA, which then travels through nuclear pores to the cytoplasm for protein synthesis by ribosomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nucleus is often described as the command center of a eukaryotic cell. It houses the cell's genetic material, DNA, which contains the instructions needed for the cell's function and reproduction. The nucleus is surrounded by the nuclear envelope, a double-layered membrane with nuclear pores that control the passage of molecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm.
Information flows from the nucleus to the cytoplasm through a process called transcription, where a segment of DNA is copied into mRNA (messenger RNA) by the enzyme RNA polymerase. This mRNA then exits the nucleus through the nuclear pores and enters the cytoplasm, where ribosomes translate it into proteins, following the genetic instructions carried by the mRNA. Therefore, information encoded in the DNA is shipped to the cytoplasm via mRNA, leading to the synthesis of proteins essential for the cell's function.