Cell biology

Cell biology (also called cellular biology or cytology, from the Greek kytos, "container") is an academic discipline which studies cells. This includes their physiological properties such as their structure and the organelles they contain, their environment and interactions, their life cycle, division and function (physiology) and eventual death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level, and cell biology researches both single-celled organisms like bacteria and specialized cells in multicellular organisms like humans.

Processes in cell biology

Movement of proteins

Proteins are synthesized by ribosomes in the cytoplasm. This process is also known as protein biosynthesis or simply protein translation. Some proteins, such as those to be incorporated in membranes (membrane proteins), are transported into the ER during synthesis and further processed in the Golgi apparatus. From the Golgi, membrane proteins can move to the plasma membrane, to other subcellular comparments or they can be secreted from the cell. The ER and Golgi can be thought of as the "membrane protein synthesis compartment" and the "membrane protein processing compartment", respectively. There is a semi-constant flux of proteins through these compartments. ER and Golgi-resident proteins associate with other proteins but remain in their respective compartments. Other proteins "flow" through the ER and Golgi to the plasma membrane. From the plasma membrane, proteins destined to be degraded move back into intracellular compartments where they are broken down to their individual amino acids.

Related Topics:
Protein - Ribosome - Cytoplasm - Protein biosynthesis - Protein translation - Membrane protein - ER - Golgi apparatus - Plasma membrane - Amino acid

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