Smooth endoplasmic reticulum

Question

Explain what is an analogy for the smooth endoplasmic reticulum?

Answer 1

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is just like a manufacturing plant, like the factory, where proteins and lipids are formed. This is also where the things are packaged into the boxed and sent off to several places. In cell, the smooth ER is the network of membrane bound bodies which lack the ribosomes (the molecules used in protein synthesis) and its primary function is to alter, encapsulate and transport the newly synthesized proteins and lipids that will be released or remain within the cytoplasm since the membrane bound vesicles. The smooth ER may also be compared to the highway, or the protein and lipid highway, if you will. It is sometimes known as the transitional ER since it consists of the exit sites from which the transport vesicles carrying these proteins and the lipids bud off for transport to Golgi apparatus. It is generally prominent in cells which specialize in lipid metabolism and synthesis.