Endoplasmic Reticulum

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum The smooth endoplasmic reticulum functions as a packaging system, and unlike its counter part, the rough endoplasmic reticulum, it does not have ribosomes attached to it. The endoplasmic reticulum works closely with the Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, RNA, mRNA, and tRNA. It creates a network of membranes found through the whole cell. The endoplasmic reticulum may also look different from cell to cell, depending on the cell's function.Smooth endoplasmic reticulums are shaped more like tubes. The endoplasmic reticulum is important because it plays a big part in a cell because it acts like a storage organelle. It helps create steroids and proteins then stores them. In muscle cells, it stores calcium. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum is also used to synthesise lipids. This synthesis creates lipoproteins which is found in the liver. The endoplasmic reticulum also stores glycogen.The endoplasmic reticulum consists of tubules and vesicles that branch forming a network. In some cells there are dilated areas like the sacs of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The endoplasmic reticulum is folded and stacked layer upon layer within the cell and is connected to the cell's nuclear membrane Another function of the endoplasmic reticulum is to control the movement of newly synthesized proteins to their proper locations in the cell or to the membrane to be sent outside the cell.This is done by a process called budding, where small vesicles of smooth endoplasmic reticulum are cut off to carry the proteins to their new spots in the cell. It also stores ions in solution that the cell may need at a later time. The endoplasmic reticulum allows molecules to be moved between the lumen and the cytoplasm, and since it is connected to the double-layered nuclear envelope, it gives a route between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In muscle cells the endoplasmic reticulum releases calcium to trigger muscle contractions.The endoplasmic reticulum also has a role in drug toleranc e. The smooth endoplasmic reticulum functions to get rid of poisons, and drugs are considered a poison to the cell, if you consume more drugs, your cells will make more endoplasmic reticulum to get rid of the poisons. The cycle will the continue, the more drugs you take, the more smooth endoplasmic reticulum your cells will make. Your body builds up a tolerance for drugs because it will have a lot of smooth endoplasmic reticulum to discard the drugs, and Endoplasmic Reticulum The primary purpose of this research paper is to find out whether the endoplasmic reticulum in the eggs of animals undergoes any structural or morphological changes during fertilization. The experiment studies this phenomenon by microinjecting a dye in unfertilized egg and then visualized using a confocal microscope to detect any alterations in structure. Eventually, this paper tries to explain the role played by the endoplasmic reticulum in fertilization. The research question that is being tested in this paper was about the Endoplasmic reticulum and how it plays a role in the fertilization which can be evidenced by structural changes that taking place during the fertilization process. The most important aspect of this experiment in the paper is the microinjection of eggs with soya beans oil saturated with DiI solution which enables visualization of the endoplasmic reticulum using the confocal microscope. The dye then spreads through the ER only in 30 minutes during which the cisternae and tubules of the ER can be identified. This method of staining is also utilized to stain the plasma membrane which is also a bilayer membrane. This experiment, therefore, teaches that the ER is a complex organelle, bilayer membrane with lipophilic layers.The weakness of this paper shows the changes in calcium levels in the fertilized eggs of Sea Urchin during the first few minutes when ER structural changes are thought to take place. The ER has an internal compartment that is involved in regulation of calcium. There is evidence that calcium is produced during fertilization. Is this calcium from the ER? Does calcium generation cause the structural changes in ER? These questions have not been answered by this research paper. Also, the control experiment for this would include a repeat of the tests under similar temperature conditions as previously conducted research experiments to compare the calcium levels. If this was my experiment, I would conduct similar research (ER changes) on large mammal animal models using unfertilized eggs incubated and fertilized at room and atmospheric temperature (conditions).