Your body is filled with dozens of different types of cells that all have their own purpose. From making sure that you can absorb nutrients from the food that you eat to helping your body heal after getting a cut or a scrape, your cells are very important to helping you live a healthy and happy life. The Golgi body, also known as the Golgi apparatus, is an essential part of the body. Originally named after Camillo Golgi, an Italian biologist, this organelle helps your cells.
1. Working with Molecules
The first thing that the Golgi body does is it works with the molecules in your system and combines the smaller ones to make complex ones. These complex (or “big”) molecules are then put into little packages known as vesicles. The Golgi body will make the decision on when to store the vesicles or to send them outside of the cell.
2. Creating Lysosomes
Lysosomes are some of the most important cells that you have in your body as they help to digest the food that you eat and give your immune system the support that it needs to stay healthy. Golgi bodies are responsible for making lysosomes, the important little tools for your digestive system.
3. Pancake Appearance
When you see a Golgi body you’ll be able to immediately identify it as it looks like a series of pancakes, which are actually membranes. There are 2 layers in each membrane and they surround small fluid sacs that contain proteins, enzymes, and sugars. You will also find ribosomes in the sacs that are filled with fluid, as the Golgi body absorbs rough endoplasmic reticulum vesicles.
4. Shipping and Receiving
One of the main things to know about Golgi bodies is that they are the “shipping and receiving” organelles in the body. Every time that your body gets proteins, the Golgi bodies will have to change them to adapt to your body, sort through the different protein molecules, and package them up to ship/send them throughout your body. It is actually one of the most complex processes that happen inside of your system.
Without any Golgi bodies, it would be impossible to digest food and protect your body from illnesses, as there wouldn’t be any lysosomes. Also, your body wouldn’t be able to build enough energy and strength, as your proteins wouldn’t be properly distributed. They are quite important and help to make sure that your other cells stay healthy.