Question

Scientists can track the movement of proteins through the endomembrane system using an approach known as a pulse-chase experiment. This experiment involves the "pulse" phase: cells are exposed to a high concentration of a radioactively labeled amino acid for a short period to tag proteins that are being synthesized. The "chase" phase: an unincorporated radioactively labeled amino acids are washed away and large amounts of the same, but unlabeled, amino acid are added. Only those proteins synthesized during the brief pulse phase are radioactively tagged. These tagged proteins can be tracked through the chase period to determine their location in the cell. The data below were obtained from a pulse-chase experiment in which cells were examined at different times during the chase period. The numbers represent the radioactivity (measured in counts per minute) recorded at each of the indicated sites. The higher the number, the greater the radioactivity. Time er golgi cytoplasm lysosomes extracellular space 3 minutes 162 7 21 5 4 20 minutes 73 88 17 10 8 60 minutes 9 35 14 112 13 120 minutes 11 23 18 151 10 based on these data, what is the most likely function of the cells in this experiment

Answer 1

Based on these data the most likely function of the cells is phagocytosis.

We can conclude this because, within the first three minutes, the radioactivity is the highest inside the ER. After that, it increases in Golgi apparatus, lysosomes and extracellular space which is exactly the pathway of the ingested amino acids via phagocytosis.