The cytoplasm is a fluid substance that fills every living cell which is enclosed by the cell membrane. This substance is mainly composed of water and proteins.
The functions that take place within the eukaryotic cytoplasm are diverse:
Location for most metabolic pathways. Except for the metabolic pahtways in cell nucleus and cytoplasmatic organelles, all metabolic functions (e.g., synthesis of biomolecules, growth, etc) occur in the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm contain enzymes (i.e., proteins)to carry out different chemical reactions.
Location for organelles that house many of the metabolic pathways for the cell. For example, the synthesis of ATP (the energy coin of the cells) is carried out in the mitochondria, which are organelles found in the cytoplasm.
Location for the cytoskeleton that gives integrity to the cell. The cytoplasm contains all of the three typesof filaments of the cytoskeleton (i.e., microtubules, actin filaments, and intermediate filaments) which provides structural support to the cells.
On the other hand, in plant cells, the cell wall is located outside the cell membrane.
