Archive | Cell Biology

The term "microbody" was used by cell biologists and cytologists for many years to describe a variety of different small cellular components. More recently, it has usu­ally been restricted to organelles possessing flavin ox­idases and catalase. Organelles possessing these ac­tivities are typically spherical or ovoid structures having a single bounding membrane, a diameter of about 0.5-1.5 μm, and containing an [...]

The Golgi apparatus or Golgi bodies of eukaryotic cells are organelles that play a variety of functions, includ­ing: (1) The packaging of secretory materials that are to be discharged from the cell, (2) The processing of proteins (e.g., glycosylation, phosphorylation, sulfa­tion, and selective proteolysis) synthesized by ribosomes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, (3) The syn­thesis of certain polysaccharides and glycolipids, [...]

A variety of proteins synthesized by rough endoplas­mic reticulum pass through and is processed by the Golgi apparatus on their way to their final cellular destinations. Best understood among these are pro­teins destined to be secreted from the cell, plasma membrane proteins, and lysosomal proteins. Secretion: Although the Golgi apparatus is involved in many dif­ferent cellular processes, its principal role [...]