Golgi apparatus

A TEM image showing the Golgi apparatus inside a human leukocyte

The Golgi apparatus (also called the Golgi complex) is an important organelle in eukaryotic cells. The Golgi apparatus further modifies many proteins and lipids from the endoplasmic reticulum. Afterwards, they get transferred to different places within or outside of the cell.

History

The Golgi apparatus is named after Camillo Golgi who discovered it in 1898.

Composition

Its morphology varies considerably between different cell types. In higher eukaryotic cells the Golgi apparatus usually consists of three to ten cisternaes of around $1\cdot 10^{-6}m$ diameter which are arranged as a stack. Those cisternaes are flattened which leads to a high surface-to-volume ratio which could facilitate the activity of the enzymes inside the Golgi apparatus.

Function

Through adding certain signal oligosaccharides a protein can be tagged to be transported to a specific area of the cell.