What is the Difference Between Granular and Agranular Endoplasmic Reticulum?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important organelle in eukaryotic cells that plays a crucial role in synthesis, folding, modification, and transport of proteins. It is also involved in calcium storage, carbohydrate metabolism, and lipid synthesis and metabolism. The ER can be classified into two types based on the presence or absence of ribosomes: granular and agranular endoplasmic reticulum.
Granular Endoplasmic Reticulum:
- Has ribosomes attached to its surface.
- Appears rough due to the presence of ribosomes.
- Participates in protein synthesis, folding, quality control, and protein sorting.
Agranular Endoplasmic Reticulum:
- Lacks ribosomes on its surface.
- Has a smooth appearance.
- Carries out the synthesis of various lipids, steroid hormones, and other cellular components.
- Involved in carbohydrate metabolism and storing and releasing calcium ions in the cell.
In summary, the main difference between granular and agranular endoplasmic reticulum lies in the presence of ribosomes on the surface of the granular ER, which is involved in protein synthesis and related processes, while the agranular ER is involved in lipid synthesis and other cellular functions.
Comparative Table: Granular vs Agranular Endoplasmic Reticulum
The main difference between granular and agranular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lies in the presence or absence of ribosomes on their surfaces. Here is a table summarizing their differences:
Feature | Granular ER | Agranular ER |
---|---|---|
Ribosomes | Present on the surface, giving it a rough appearance | Absent on the surface, resulting in a smooth appearance |
Function | Involved in protein synthesis, folding, quality control, and protein sorting | Carries out the synthesis of various lipids, steroid hormones, carbohydrate metabolism, and calcium ion storage and release |
Granular ER has ribosomes attached to its surface, which are responsible for protein synthesis. On the other hand, agranular ER lacks ribosomes and is involved in various functions such as lipid synthesis, steroid hormone production, carbohydrate metabolism, and calcium ion storage and release.
- Smooth vs Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
- Golgi Apparatus vs Endoplasmic Reticulum
- Granular vs Agranular Leukocytes
- Sarcolemma vs Sarcoplasmic Reticulum
- Granulocytes vs Agranulocytes
- Grana vs Thylakoid
- Grana vs Stroma
- Granulation Tissue vs Granuloma
- Ectoplasm vs Endoplasm
- Membranous vs Nonmembranous Organelles
- Lysosomes vs Ribosomes
- Endosome vs Lysosome
- Fibrous vs Globular Proteins
- Prilled vs Granular Urea
- Golgi Bodies vs Mitochondria
- Endomysium vs Sarcolemma
- Cytoplasm vs Protoplasm
- Grain Size vs Crystallite Size
- Collagen Elastin vs Reticular Fibers