A cell that manufactures a large amount of protein for export would have an abundance of which organelle?

• A. Mitochondria
• B. Golgi apparatus
• C. Ribosomes
• D. Lysosomes

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that protein synthesis happens on ribosomes. A cell that makes a lot of protein for export needs many ribosomes to translate mRNA into polypeptides quickly, increasing the overall production. In secretory cells, many ribosomes are attached to rough endoplasmic reticulum, forming a highly active surface dedicated to assembling proteins that will be sent out of the cell. After synthesis, the Golgi apparatus processes and packages these proteins for export, but without enough ribosomes, production itself would bottleneck. Mitochondria provide energy, and lysosomes break down waste, but neither directly drives the high rate of protein synthesis needed for export. So, an abundance of ribosomes best explains a cell geared toward heavy protein export.