Question

A patient's digestive system cells that normally produce enzymes show reduced enzyme production despite appearing structurally normal. The cells' rough endoplasmic reticulum appears less extensive than usual. How does this explain the enzyme deficiency?
Question 4 options:

Normal cell structure should guarantee normal enzyme production levels

Reduced rough ER means less protein synthesis capacity for enzyme production

Digestive enzymes are stored in the nucleus, not made by the ER

Enzyme production only requires mitochondria, not endoplasmic reticulum

Answer 1

Reduced rough ER means less protein synthesis capacity for enzyme production.

Rough ER is studded with ribosomes and is the site where secreted and membrane-bound proteins (like digestive enzymes) are synthesized and enter the secretory pathway. If RER is less extensive, the cell has fewer sites for ribosomal translation and for processing/folding of these enzymes, so enzyme output falls even though the cells look otherwise normal.