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Mucus secreting cells immersed in radioactive amino acids...

“Some mucus secreting cells were immersed in a solution of radioactive amino acids. Every five seconds, some of the cells were removed and their organelles were separated and analysed. The radioactivity in the different organelles was measured for each five second interval.

When answering the first two question below, use organelles from this list -
Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, RER, vesicles.

a) Which of these organelles would you expect radioactivity to appear first? Explain your answer”

Can someone explain this question to me please.

Reply 1

Adro789

I am not 100% but would imagine the vesicles because the amino acids (which are radioactively labelled) absorbed by the cells would first be transported by these vesicles.

Reply 2

GorgeousWill

Original post by Adro789

I am not 100% but would imagine the vesicles because the amino acids (which are radioactively labelled) absorbed by the cells would first be transported by these vesicles.

It’s actually the ribosomes that are first. I have no idea how that makes any sense

Reply 3

Adro789

Original post by GorgeousWill

It’s actually the ribosomes that are first. I have no idea how that makes any sense

Hmm it's a bit of a vague question. I can see how it is the ribosomes, I am assuming you have been taught the process of translation. The amino acids which are radioactively labelled are brought into position on the ribosome by transfer RNA molecules, meaning that the ribosomes would be the first place where the radioactivity is detected in the cell. Radioactivity would then be detected later in the ER (and Golgi + secretory vesicles) as the polypeptide is modified after translation by the ribosome(s). Hope this helps!

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