Question

What happens to the endoplasmic reticulum when the tissues or cells are homoginized?

Answer 1

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER):

• ER is the network of membranous tubules within the cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell which is continuous with the nuclear membrane.
• It usually has ribosomes attached and is involved in protein and lipid synthesis.
• It also stores calcium.
• Transmission electron microscope (TEM) is the microscope that use a particle beam of electrons to visualize specimens and generate a highly-magnified image.
• TEMs can magnify objects up to 2 million times. 

Homogenization of ER:

•  When the tissues or cells of ER are disrupted by homogenization, the ER breaks into fragments and reseals into many small  closed vesicles called  microsomes, which are relatively easy to purify.
• These microsomes are ~100–200 nm in diameter.
• The microsomes which are derived from rough ER are studded with ribosomes and are called rough microsomes.
• These ribosomes are always found on the outside surface, so the interior of the  microsome is biochemically equivalent to the  lumenal space of the ER.
• Rough microsomes are especially useful for studying the many processes performed by the rough ER.
• Rough ER are still capable of  protein synthesis,  protein glycosylation, Ca²⁺ uptake, and  lipid synthesis.

 

Homogenization:

  Homogenization is the process whereby different fractions of a biological sample become equal in composition.