Endoplasmic reticulum is, in essence, the transportation system of the eukaryotic cell, and has many other important functions such as protein folding.
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14 Facts About Endoplasmic reticulum
2.
The endoplasmic reticulum is found in most eukaryotic cells and forms an interconnected network of flattened, membrane-enclosed sacs known as cisternae, and tubular structures in the SER.
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3.
Later, the word Endoplasmic reticulum, which means "network", was applied by Porter in 1953 to describe this fabric of membranes.
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4.
General structure of the endoplasmic reticulum is a network of membranes called cisternae.
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5.
The functions of the endoplasmic reticulum can be summarized as the synthesis and export of proteins and membrane lipids, but varies between ER and cell type and cell function.
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6.
Surface of the rough endoplasmic reticulum is studded with protein-manufacturing ribosomes giving it a "rough" appearance .
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7.
The second method of transport out of the endoplasmic reticulum involves areas called membrane contact sites, where the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and other organelles are held closely together, allowing the transfer of lipids and other small molecules.
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8.
Smooth endoplasmic reticulum is found in a variety of cell types, and it serves different functions in each.
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9.
The smooth endoplasmic reticulum contains the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase, which converts glucose-6-phosphate to glucose, a step in gluconeogenesis.
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10.
The network of smooth endoplasmic reticulum allows for an increased surface area to be devoted to the action or storage of key enzymes and the products of these enzymes.
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11.
The only structural difference between this organelle and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum is the composition of proteins they have, both bound to their membranes and drifting within the confines of their lumens.
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12.
The sarcoplasmic Endoplasmic reticulum plays a major role in excitation-contraction coupling.
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13.
Endoplasmic reticulum serves many general functions, including the folding of protein molecules in sacs called cisternae and the transport of synthesized proteins in vesicles to the Golgi apparatus.
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14.
Proteins that are destined for places outside the endoplasmic reticulum are packed into transport vesicles and moved along the cytoskeleton toward their destination.
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