Text Version of the Interactive Cell
Nucleus
The easiest organelle to spot in most cells, the nucleus is the storehouse
for most of your DNA.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria are often called the cell's power plants. They manufacture
the main energy source in your body—a small molecule called
ATP. Unlike other organelles, mitochondria have their own DNA.
Golgi
The Golgi puts the finishing touches—sugars or other molecules—onto
newly made proteins and lipids. Some of these additions act as shipping
labels that send the newborn molecules to their proper destinations,
whether it is another organelle, a cell membrane or outside the cell.
Lysosomes
Powerful enzymes inside lysosomes chop up cellular materials into
their component parts, which the cell reuses as nutrients or building
blocks. Lysosomes haul away unusable waste and dump it outside the
cell.
Smooth ER
The ER (endoplasmic reticulum) is a collection of enormous, interconnected
sacs located close to the cell's nucleus. It comes in two types: smooth
and rough.
The smooth ER manufactures lipids and contains enzymes that break
down harmful substances. Most cell types have very little smooth ER.
Rough ER
The ER (endoplasmic reticulum) is a collection of enormous, interconnected
sacs located close to the cell's nucleus. It comes in two types: smooth
and rough. Under a high-powered microscope, the rough ER appears covered
with black dots. Those dots are ribosomes, sophisticated molecular
machines that build proteins.
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