The control center of a cell that contains genetic material is called

• A. Cytoplasm
• B. Nucleus
• C. Nucleolus
• D. Chromatin

Answer: (B)

The control center that contains genetic material is the nucleus. It houses DNA, the blueprint for the cell’s functions and traits, and regulates activity by controlling which genes are turned on or off. In eukaryotic cells, DNA is organized as chromatin inside the nucleus and becomes chromosomes during cell division, allowing precise regulation of gene expression. The nucleolus sits inside the nucleus and focuses on ribosomal RNA production, not on governing the cell’s activities as a whole. The cytoplasm is the site of many metabolic processes outside the nucleus, and chromatin refers to the DNA-protein complex itself within the nucleus. So the nucleus is the central command that contains the genetic material.