Epithelial Cell Cells Lab Report

a) Using a human cell of your choice, describe how organelles work together to make and secrete a protein (LO1. AC 1.1)
An epithelial cell in the thyroid gland, called a thyrocyte forms spherical follicles that produce a protein called thyroglobulin. This is a globular protein that has a functional role in metabolism. The protein is used by the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones; thyroxine (T4) is an example of one of the hormones created. Thyroxine is formed by iodine binding to tyrosine residues in thyroglobulin molecules, inside the follicle cell. (www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/thyroid/chem.html)
This hormone regulates growth and controls the rate of chemical reactions in the body.

This image is from: http://classes.midlandstech.com/carterp/Courses/bio211/chap16/chap16.htm
There are many organelles inside the cell, however only specific organelles make and secrete thyroglobulin. The Nucleus (the largest organelle inside the cell) controls all the different organelles within the follicle cell, and instructs each organelle on how to synthesis the protein (thyroglobulin). It also holds the DNA which codes for thyroglobulin, so it knows what protein the cell is producing and how much is