IB Biology Topic B2.2.8: Structure and Function of the Golgi Apparatus Notes

The Golgi Apparatus: Processing and Sorting Proteins

1. The Golgi apparatus (also called the Golgi body or Golgi complex) is a stack of flattened, membrane-bound sacs called cisternae.
   1. It receives proteins from the rER, modifies them, and sorts them into vesicles for delivery to their final destinations.
2. The Golgi has a distinct polarity.
   1. The cis face (nearest the rER) receives transport vesicles carrying newly synthesised proteins.
   2. The trans face (nearest the plasma membrane) dispatches vesicles carrying finished products.
   3. Proteins move through the stack from cis to trans, modified at each stage by enzymes specific to that cisterna.

Protein Modification in the Golgi