endoplasmatisch

Endoplasmatisch is an adjective used in German biology to describe structures related to the endoplasm or the endoplasmic reticulum. The term derives from endo- meaning within and plasma meaning cytoplasm, and it is most commonly encountered in phrases such as endoplasmatisches Retikulum.

In cell biology, the endoplasm refers to the inner, more granular portion of the cytoplasm, as opposed to the outer, clearer ectoplasm. The endoplasm contains most organelles and is the site of many metabolic processes; its density and granularity reflect cellular activity and readiness for transport and synthesis.

The most prominent use of the term is in relation to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The German term for the organelle is endoplasmatisches Retikulum. The ER is a membrane-bound network of tubules and sacs that is continuous with the nuclear envelope. It comprises rough ER, studded with ribosomes for protein synthesis, and smooth ER, involved in lipid metabolism, detoxification, and calcium storage. The ER forms transport vesicles that ferry synthesized products to the Golgi apparatus and other destinations within the cell.

In histology and microscopy, endoplasmatisch describes properties of the inner cytoplasm or ER structures and may be used in descriptions of protozoa or other cells where cytoplasm is differentiated into endoplasm and ectoplasm. The term thus spans general cytoplasmic context as well as a specific organellar reference to the endoplasmic reticulum.