History

Camillo Golgi, an Italian physician, discovered the Golgi organelle in 1898. He used a light microscope to study the structure of cells. Many doubted his finding, but it was confirmed with the invention of the electron microscope. Later, he was awarded the Nobel Prize (1906) for his work on cells in the nervous system.

Function & Structure

The Golgi apparatus is an extremely important organelle in both plant and animal cells. The Golgi body consists of layers of sacs. These sacs have a very thin membrane. Vesicles are pinching off the edges of the sacs. This organelle has two parts to its function. First, it acts in the modification of lipids and proteins. Secondly, it serves to store and package materials for exportation from the cell. The Golgi body works together with the vesicles. They move back and forth from the organelle to the cell membrane carrying the packaged materials to the outside of the cell. The Golgi body is located near the nucleus of the cell.