| Term | Definition |
|---|
| ribosomes | tiny spherical bodies composed of RNA and protein; actual sites of protein synthesis; floating free or attached to a membranous structure (the rough ER) in the cytoplasm |
| endoplasmic reticulum (ER) | membranous system of tubules that extends throughout the cytoplasm |
| rough ER | studded with ribosomes, provides an area for storage and transport of the proteins made on the ribosomes to other cell areas |
| smooth ER | no function in protein synthesis, site of steroid and lipid synthesis, lipid metabolism, and drug detoxification |
| golgi apparatus | stack of flattened sacs with bulbous ends and associated small vesicles; found close to the nucleus; |
| lysosomes | various-sized membranous sacs containing digestive enzymes; function to digest worn-out cell organelles and foreign substances that enter the cell |
| peroxisomes | small lysosome-like membranous sacs containing oxidase enzymes that detoxify alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and other harmful chemicals |
| mitochondria | generally rod-shaped bodies with a double-membrane wall; inner membrane is thrown into folds; contain enzymes that oxidize foodstuffs to produce cellular energy; "powerhouse of the cell" |
| centrioles | paired, cylindrical bodies lie at right angles to each other, close to the nucleus; direct the formation of the mitotic spindle during cell division |
| cytoskeletal elements | supports and moves substances within the cell |
| microtubules | has the ability to aggregate and then disaggregate spontaneously; organize the cytoskeleton and direct formation of the spindle |
| intermediate filaments | stable poteinaceous cytoskeletal elements that act as internal guy wires to resist mechanical forces acting on cells |
| microfilaments | formed of contractile protein; important in cell mobility and specialized to contract |
Combine with other sets
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