wat does the endoplasmic reticulum cell do in the plant cell?

Answer 1

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is not a cell, but a specialized organelle in eukaryotic (plant and animal) cells involved in helping membrane proteins to fold properly as they are synthesized. It also functions to direct these proteins to specific places in the cell such as the membrane, or other parts of the cell.

Answer 2

The endoplasmic reticulum serves many general functions, including the facilitation of protein folding and the transport of synthesized proteins in sacs called cisternae.

Other functions

* Insertion of proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane: Integral proteins must be inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane after they are synthesized. Insertion into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane requires the correct topogenic sequences.
* Glycosylation: Glycosylation involves the attachment of oligosaccharides.
* Disulfide bond formation and rearrangement: Disulfide bonds stabilize the tertiary and quaternary structure of many proteins.
* Calcium storage: The smooth endoplasmic reticulum serves as a major storage and release site of intracellular calcium ions. This is of particular importance in striated muscles (which contains a modified smooth endoplasmic reticulum called the sarcoplasmic reticulum) which must be able to continually contract.

Answer 3

The endoplasmic reticulum is an extensive network of membranes composed of both regions with ribosomes and regions without ribosomes.



There are two regions of the ER that differ in both structure and function. One region is called rough ER because it has ribosomes attached to the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. The other region is called smooth ER because it lacks attached ribosomes. Typically, the smooth ER is a tubule network and the rough ER is a series of flattened sacs.

The rough ER manufactures membranes and secretory proteins. In leukocytes (leuk-) the rough ER produces antibodies (anti-). In pancreatic cells the rough ER produces insulin. The rough and smooth ER are usually interconnected and the proteins and membranes made by the rough ER move into the smooth ER to be transferred to other locations.


The smooth ER has a wide range of functions including carbohydrate and lipid synthesis. It serves as a transitional area for vesicles that transport ER products to various destinations. In liver cells the smooth ER produces enzymes that help to detoxify certain compounds. In muscles the smooth ER assists in the contraction of muscle cells and in brain cells it synthesizes male and female hormones.