The plural of nucleus; the central, most important part of something, or the dense core at the center of an atom containing protons and neutrons.
From Latin 'nucleus' meaning 'small nut' or 'kernel,' from 'nux' (nut). Used metaphorically since the 1700s, then scientifically in physics and biology.
A single nucleus in a cell contains more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA—that tiny structure holds the instruction manual for an entire organism!
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