The Endoplasmic Reticulum – the possible site of the primary beta cell defect in diabetes mellitus

Abstract

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a membranous cell structure that is connected with the pores of the nucleus membrane and forms a network of canals around the nucleus, network that is already connected to the Golgi apparatus. Part of the ER has ribosomes attached to its walls and is known as the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER), the site of protein synthesis. The other part of the ER is known as the Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER) and represents the site for the synthesis of complex lipid molecules. The ER and the Golgi apparatus can represent up to one third of the cell volume.