What are the Functions of the endoplasmic reticulum?
The two major types of endoplasmic reticulum are rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). They act as a framework for the biochemical activities of the cell.
The functions of RER are:
- It helps in partial manufacturing of the proteins because of the presence of ribosomes which are a site of protein
- Proteins have a proper and specific shape. The protein chains are folded as they are passed through the tubes of RER. These tubes are called Cisternae.
- Proteins move through these cisternae of the Endoplasmic reticulum to reach their destination
Folding of Proteins in the ER
The functions of SER are:
- It helps in the manufacture of fat molecules, that is,
- It synthesizes certain proteins and lipids which function as enzymes and
- In some cases like the cells of the liver, it helps in detoxifying the
- It synthesizes some of the molecules which help in building up the cell membrane. This process is called Membrane Biogenesis.