Question

A scientist was studying the production of a protein that was released by an animal cell into a culture medium. She found that the protein only appeared in the culture medium after she added a few drops of a hormone to the cell. Before adding the hormone, she labelled the protein inside the cell with a fluorescent dye and looked at the cell under the light microscope. The dye was seen in flattered sheets and tube-like structures throughout the cell, and in stacks of flattened sac-like structures. After adding the hormone, the dye was also seen as small dots clustered against the cell membrane. Which statement most likely explains these observations?

• A. The hormone stimulates protein synthesis in the cell vacuole, the protein is then passed to the Golgi apparatus, and eventually passes through the cell membrane by passive diffusion
• B. The hormone triggers the synthesis of the protein in the endoplasmic reticulum and it is then secreted outside of the cell via channel proteins in the cell membrane
• C. The protein is made in the endoplasmic reticulum, is passed to the Golgi apparatus and is secreted through hormone-stimulated exocytosis
• D. The protein is made in the Golgi apparatus is passed to the endoplasmic reticulum and is secreted through hormone-stimulated pinocytosis

Answer 1

The correct option is C The protein is made in the endoplasmic reticulum, is passed to the Golgi apparatus and is secreted through hormone-stimulated exocytosis

Hormones bring about their characteristic effects on target cells by modifying cellular activities. The given experiment shows that the hormone is a releasing hormone which has increased the secretion of protein product in the target cell.