You do not consume alcoholic beverages, but your friend does, and he consumes these drinks regularly and in large amounts, If we could examine your liver cells and compare with your friend, would we see a difference in smooth ER and peroxisomes?
- In the instance that my friend consumes alcohol on a regular basis and I do not, and our liver cells are examined and compared, higher levels of smooth endoplasmic reticulum would be observed in my friend's liver cells because the cells have produced more smooth endoplasmic reticulum in response to the increased number of toxins. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum is primarily responsible for lipid formation and the detoxification of medications and toxins, including alcohol, in the body. In addition, there would be a greater quantity of peroxisomes present as well because they act to detoxify alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and hazardous substances. In contrast, my liver cell would reveal to be in normal levels since there would be no toxins the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes need to function for. These processes occur to prevent the body from becoming toxic owing to excessive alcohol consumption.