Question

Cells in the pancreas are responsible for producing insulin, a protein excreted from the cell and used to help regulate blood sugar levels. Since the protein will be released out of the cell in which it is made, which of the cell's ribosomes are most likely involved in its production?

Answer 1

The choices for the above question are:

A. The ribosomes lining the cell membrane will make it so it can be sent out of the cell more quickly.

B.The ribosomes surrounding the Golgi apparatus will make it so it can be more easily captured and wrapped in membrane.

C.The ribosomes on the endoplasmic reticulum will make it so it can be wrapped in membrane and sent to the Golgi apparatus.

D.The ribosomes floating in the cytoplasm will make it so it can be bent into the correct shape.

The right answer is C. Ribosomes are more or less located in two general areas - freely in the cytosol or attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Now, you know that these proteins will be secreted. Keep in mind then, that ribosomes associated with the ER create their proteins in the lumen or interior of the ER. The ER then packages these proteins into vesicles and secretes them to the Golgi, which secretes them to the membrane. So, ER-associated ribosomes are bound by vesicles, and free ribosomes in the cytosol create proteins are not. I hope that this is the answer that you were looking for and it has helped you.

Answer 2

The ribosomes on the endoplasmic reticulum will make it so it can be wrapped in membrane and sent to the Golgi apparatus.