GOLGI COMPLEX ( GOLGI APPARATUS = GOLGI BODY)
The Nobel laureate, Camilla Golgi (1898) discovered the presence of a special, small group of interconnecting membranous structures, generally occupying a definite position near the nucleus. It was later named as Golgi complex ,It has now been recognized as a differentiated portion of the end membrane system related to the endoplasmic reticulum ER on one side and to certain secretory vesicles leading to the plasma membrane on the other thus this part of the endomembrane or vacuolar system is sinterposed between the ER and cell exterior.
Structurally, Golgi complex consists of one more uo to 50 in secretory cells of animals and up to thousand in secretory cells of plants units called dictyosomes . Each dictyosome , in turn consists of 3to 7 overlapping flattened and curved sacs bordered by tubules, vesicles and vacuoles forming or cis face close to the nucleus or endoplasmic retriculum ER and a concave and distal. Maturing or trans phase towards plasma membrane . The cis face is marked by the presence of small transition vesicles or tubules which continuously form by the breaking off of adjacent smooth endoplasmic reticulum and then unite to form new proximal cistern of a dictyosome. At its maturing phase, the distal cistern is continuously lost by its breaking off into secretory vesicles . Thus there is a continuous renewal of the dictyosomes. Each component of a dictyosome is bound by smooth trilaminar unit membrane like the SER and plasma membrane.
Functions of Golgi complex: The major functions of golgi complex are related to the fact that it is a special endomembrane compartment interposed between ER and extracellular medium Through it there is a continuous traffic of fluids macro molecules. Membrane components and other cell constituents.