Final answer:
The endosome is the cellular compartment acting as the main sorting station for extracellular cargo molecules taken up by endocytosis, not the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, or transport vesicles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cellular compartment that acts as the main sorting station for extracellular cargo molecules taken up by endocytosis is the endosome. Endosomes serve as an intermediary sorting station where extracellular materials are processed and directed to different cellular destinations. Transport vesicles move molecules such as proteins from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus, where they are further sorted, packaged, and tagged before being sent to their final destination, which may include lysosomes for degradation. However, it is the endosomes that initially categorize the endocytosed materials. The Golgi apparatus, another essential structure in cellular sorting mechanics, acts more like the cellular post office, handling products from the rough endoplasmic reticulum by organizing, modifying, and directing them either within the cell or for secretion.