Question

If the adrenal cortex produces lipid-based hormones such as aldosterone, which organelle would be higher in cells of the adrenal cortex than in the adrenal medulla?

a) Golgi apparatus
b) Endoplasmic reticulum
c) Lysosomes
d) Peroxisomes

Answer 1

Cells in the adrenal cortex, which produce lipid-based hormones like aldosterone, have a higher concentration of smooth endoplasmic reticulum to facilitate the synthesis of these steroid hormones.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the adrenal cortex produces lipid-based hormones such as aldosterone, an organelle that would be expected to have a higher concentration in its cells compared to cells of the adrenal medulla is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), specifically the smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

The smooth endoplasmic reticulum is primarily involved in the synthesis and metabolism of lipids, which includes the production of steroid hormones. Since steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol, a lipid, cells in the adrenal cortex that produce hormones like aldosterone would contain abundant smooth ER to manage the synthesis of these lipid-based hormones efficiently.