The cell nucleus is the organelle that contains genetic material and controls the cell’s activities in eukaryotic cells. Learn about its history, characteristics, structure, functions, and evolution in this comprehensive article. The nucleus (plural: nuclei) is a double-membraned organelle that is found only in eukaryotic cells. The name nucleus comes from a Latin term that means "nut kernel." The nucleus was discovered by Robert Brown in 1831. It is the first cell organelle that was discovered. The nucleus is responsible for containing the genetic material that holds the key to regulating all sorts of cellular activities. The presence and absence of the nucleus is one of the important characteristics that ... Nucleus , in biology, a specialized structure occurring in most cells (except bacteria and blue-green algae) and separated from the rest of the cell by a double layer, the nuclear membrane. The nucleus controls and regulates the activities of the cell (e.g., growth and metabolism) and carries the genes.