Interdependence of Sub-cellular organelles
Introduction
Endomembrane system in Protein Synthesis
The interior of a eukaryotic cell is packed with membranes so thin that they are totally invisible under the low resolving power of a light microscope. The endomembrane system fills the cell dividing it into compartments, channeling the passage of molecules through the interior of the cell, and providing surfaces for the synthesis of lipids and some proteins. The presence of these membranes in eukaryotic cells constitutes one of the most fundamental distinctions between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. (Johnson et al, 2010)
Endomembrane system functions in a wide range of processes inside the cell. One of its main functions is the modification, packaging and transport of proteins, especially those aimed at the plasma membrane or for secretion from the cell. However, compartments endomembrane system also operates in
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It consists of a network of membranous tubules and flattened sacs. The bags are known as cisternae, a general term for membrane structures that come in stacks and have a flattened-pancake structure. The discs and tubules of the ER are hollow, and the interior space is called the lumen or cisternal space. The ER membrane is continuous with the nuclear envelope, and its lumen connects to the space between the two membrane layers of the nuclear envelope.
ER is divided into two types: rough ER, having ribosomes attached to its outersurface, and smooth ER, lacking ribosomes. The two types of ER have different functions in the cell, with rough ER to be mainly involved in protein modification and smooth ER being more of a jack-of-all-trades (many functions). Both types of ER can manufacture new lipids for export to other cellular membranes. (Johnson et al, 2010)
The Rough ER is a site of protein