A cell biologist compared the properties of rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and smooth ER. She found that one type of ER is used for protein storage, and the other is used for lipid storage. What accounts for this difference?
a
Smooth ER works with the nucleus to synthesize protein.
b
Rough ER forms proteins and transports them to the mitochondria.
c
Rough ER has ribosomes on its surface.
d
Smooth ER creates amino acids for ribosomes to form into proteins.
c. Rough ER has ribosomes on its surface.
The presence of ribosomes on the surface of the rough ER allows it to synthesize proteins, while the smooth ER, lacking ribosomes, is specialized for lipid metabolism and storage.