Coordination

Abstract

The Golgi apparatus was discovered in cells of the nervous system but attention turned quickly to other types of epithelial cells that were simpler and in which, as discussed elsewhere in this work, it finally became clear that the organelle acted as a focal point for a variety of secretions. The passage of substances controlling cellular development and affecting the functioning of the nervous system was pursued largely by physiological studies, partly because of the technicalities involved in the functioning of this system, and partly because of the substantial diversity of theories concerning the operation of the system. Interest in the role of the Golgi apparatus in cells of the nervous system, however, has been renewed by the growing pervasiveness of the concept that the steps in the secretion process are part of the normal metabolism of essentially all cells, and it is being strengthened by the growing awareness of the importance of the transfer of specific materials to the cell surface both developmentally and functionally.