The Organelle reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Organelle

In biology, particularly cell biology, the term organelle is used to describe several structures with specialized functions, suspended in the cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell.

A few large organelles probably originated from endosymbiont bacteria:

• chloroplast
• mitochondrion

Other organelles include:

• centriole
• endoplasmic reticulum
• golgi apparatus
• lysosome
• myofibril
• plastids
• nucleus
• peroxisome
• ribosome
• vacuole
• vesicle

Other related structures:

• flagellum
• cytosol
• endomembrane system
• nucleosome
• microtubule
• cell membrane

History

Organelles are historically identified through the use of some form of microscopy. Organelles were also identified through the use of cell fractionation.

Organelles of the cell
Chloroplast | Mitochondrion | Centriole | Endoplasmic reticulum | Golgi apparatus | Lysosome | Myofibril | Nucleus | Peroxisome | Ribosome | Vacuole | Vesicle

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