[Campbell Biology P.173] A cell that is highly active in synthesizing steroid hormones would... | Practice Question

A cell that is highly active in synthesizing steroid hormones would likely have an abundance of which organelle?

  • A: Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum.
  • B: Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum.
  • C: Golgi apparatus.
  • D: Ribosomes.

Explanation

The Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum Smooth ER is crucial for various metabolic processes, including the synthesis of lipids, metabolism of carbohydrates, storage of calcium ions, and detoxification of drugs and poisons. Steroid hormones are a type of lipid, so cells specialized in their synthesis would have a highly developed Smooth ER, as indicated in the text's description of Smooth ER functions.