Question

Which structure is independent of the endomembrane system in eukaryotic cells?

Answer 1

Eukaryotic cell:

1. Eukaryotic cells are cells that contain a nucleus enclosed within a nuclear envelope.
2. Genetic material is organized in chromosomes.

Endomembrane system:

1. It is composed of different membranes.
2. It includes cell organelles- the nucleus, the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes.
3. Structures independent of endomembrane system:

1. Chloroplast
2. Mitochondria

Chloroplast:

1. Chloroplasts are oval structures with an inner and an outer membrane.
2. The intermembrane space, which is between the outer and inner membranes, is 10–20 nm broad.
3. The stroma, a viscous fluid within the chloroplast, fills the space inside the inner membrane.
4. Chloroplasts contain membrane-bound compartments called thylakoids.
5. Thylakoids consist of a thylakoid membrane surrounding a thylakoid lumen.
6. Thylakoids typically create disk stacks known as grana.
7. The production of food through the mechanism of photosynthesis is the chloroplast's most significant function.

Mitochondria:

1. The mitochondrion is a rod-shaped, double-membrane structure.
2. The structure is made up of an inner membrane, an outer membrane, and what is known as the matrix.
3. The intermembrane space serves as a barrier between the layers of proteins and phospholipids that make up the outer membrane and the inner membrane.
4. The mitochondrion's outer membrane is made up of numerous unique proteins called porins.
5. The cristae, a layered structure made up of several folds in the inner membrane of mitochondria, aid in expanding the surface area of the organelle.
6. The mitochondrial matrix, a viscous fluid, contains a variety of proteins and enzymes.
7. Mitochondria produce ATP by the process of cellular respiration, namely, aerobic respiration, which requires oxygen.