Answer: D - forms transport vesicles to move proteins to the Golgi apparatus
Step-by-step explanation:
The function of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum(SER) varies, depending on cell type.
1. SER is important in the synthesis of lipids, such as cholesterol and phospholipids, which form all the membranes of the organism. In some cells, such as those of the adrenal gland and certain other endocrine glands, it plays a key role in the synthesis of steroid hormones from cholesterol.
2. In the liver, enzymes in the SER catalyze reactions that render drugs, metabolic wastes, and harmful chemicals water-soluble, thereby contributing to their detoxification, or removal, from the body. The SER also plays a role in the conversion of glycogen to glucose, with glucose-6-phosphatase, an enzyme present in SER, catalyzing the final step in glucose production in the liver.
3. In skeletal muscle cells, SER occurs as a specialized membrane structure known as the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The sarcoplasmic reticulum is a critical storage site for calcium ions, taking up the ions from the cytoplasm. It also releases calcium ions when the muscle cell is triggered by nerve stimuli, resulting in muscle contraction. In this way, the sarcoplasmic reticulum helps regulate calcium ion concentrations in the cytoplasm of skeletal muscle cells. The sarcoplasmic reticulum is also found in smooth muscle cells, though in a more loosely organized form than in skeletal muscle.