Golgi Apparatus — Structure & Function

The Cell's Post Office

The Golgi apparatus (also called the Golgi body or complex) is an organelle in eukaryotic cells responsible for packaging and shipping substances the cell produces, especially proteins. It was discovered by and named after Camillo Golgi.

The organelle is made from many flattened sacs pushed together, kind of like a stack of pancakes. Each sac is called a cisterna (plural: cisternae). It's filled with an assortment of enzymes that collect and package proteins from the rough endoplasmic reticulum.

This organelle is very often compared to a post office. On one side, called the cis face, proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can enter the complex, where they are modified and sorted. On the other side of the organelle, the finished protein is packaged and shipped in little bubbles called vesicles.

As you can see in the picture here, vesicles are little pieces that pinch off from the Golgi body. These vesicles are shipped throughout the cell and even to locations outside of the cell. Here's an up-close look at a vesicle. Notice that it's made from a phospholipid bilayer, just like the plasma membrane.

Key Vocabulary:

1. Golgi apparatus
2. Cisternae
3. Vesicle
4. Organelle

What Is the Golgi Apparatus?

The Golgi apparatus is the FedEx of the cell world. It neatly modifies, sorts, and packages each protein that it gets from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These proteins are either stored in the cell or secreted out.

This organelle has two main parts. At the cis face, proteins from the ER are shipped into the Golgi body. After the proteins are complete, they are shipped out to their final destinations at the trans face.

This organelle is also sometimes called the Golgi body.

$$\color{#8925AE}{\text{Vocabulary Review:}}$$

$\color{#8925AE}{\text{Vacuole}}$ : Organelle that contains water and nutrients. Refrigerator of the cell

$\color{#8925AE}{\text{Golgi Apparatus}}$ : Stores, sorts, and modifies proteins and lipids. Post office of the cell

$\color{#8925AE}{\text{Cytoskeleton}}$ : Helps the cell maintain its shape and assists with movement. Skeleton of the cell

$\color{#8925AE}{\text{Mitochondria}}$ : Make ATP (energy). Powerhouse of the cell

$\color{#8925AE}{\text{Ribosome}}$ : Creates polypeptide chains and proteins. Factory of the cell

$\color{#8925AE}{\text{Endoplasmic Reticulum}}$ : The smooth ER makes lipids for the cellular membrane. The rough ER assembles proteins and transports them into and out of the cell

$\color{#8925AE}{\text{Nucleus}}$ : Contains the genetic material, DNA, of the cell. Brain of the cell

(Video) Introduction to Cells: The Grand Cell Tour

by Amoeba Sisters

The Golgi apparatus has a crucial role in protein synthesis. It receives proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum and marks them for shipment. Some proteins are shipped within the cell, while others are sent outside. Without this organelle, the cell would still make proteins, but it wouldn't know what to do with them.