Why is ER called the membrane factory?

The smooth ER mainly produces lipids, but the rough ER is where cell membranes are produced according to DNA instructions, so it is often called the membrane factory of the cell, much as the mitochondria are called the powerhouses of the cell because ATP is made there for energy.

Is the ER the cell membrane factory?

About 50\% of the total membrane surface in an animal cell is provided by endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The organelle called ‘endoplasmic reticulum’ occurs in both plants and animals and is a very important manufacturing site for lipids (fats) and many proteins.

What is a membrane factory?

The endoplasmic reticulum, found in eukaryotic cells, is a network of tubes or flat sacs — kind of like a labyrinth of membranes — that serves as the factory of the cell, manufacturing and packaging up proteins and lipids to send around the cell, and even outside of it.

Why is endoplasmic reticulum like a factory?

The rough ER is where the ribosomes are located. So, it’s where proteins, and other molecules, are made. Therefore, the rough ER is like the factory’s assembly line, because it’s where the ribosomes make the proteins, or where the workers make the products. The cell membrane is similar to the doors of the factory.

Why is the endoplasmic reticulum called ER?

All eukaryotic cells contain an endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Rough ER is named for its rough appearance, which is due to the ribosomes attached to its outer (cytoplasmic) surface. Rough ER lies immediately adjacent to the cell nucleus, and its membrane is continuous with the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope.

Why is a cell like a factory?

Cells are similar to factories in that they are both systems, which integrate and work together. Major cell parts function just like the structures and people who work together in a factory. Cells have a cytoplasm, which contains the organelles of the cell and serves as a floor space would be for a factory.

What would the smooth ER be in a factory?

The SMOOTH ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM, metabolizes carbohydrates and produces lipids and steroids. A lot like a production line in a factory but it is automated and does not need workers (ribosomes) to man it.

What would a smooth ER be in a factory?

Why a factory is used when describing the cell?

A shipping and receiving department in a factory can be compared to the plasma membrane in a cell. The membrane regulates what goes out or what comes inside the cell. The workers in the cell are called the ribosomes; they make the protein and could be compared to assembly line workers in a factory.

Is endoplasmic reticulum double membrane?

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a large membrane-bound compartment spread throughout the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. It surrounds the nucleus as a double membrane bilayer and acts as a barrier to selectively control transport of molecules into and out of the nucleus (Fig. 1A,B).