Plural of cisterna; flattened membranous sacs found in cells that store and transport proteins and other substances.
From Latin cisterna meaning 'underground tank or reservoir.' The term was adopted into cell biology to describe the sac-like structures in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus because of their storage function.
Your cells are basically tiny warehouses with delivery trucks! These cisternae are like the storage shelves inside those trucks, holding packages (proteins) until they're ready to be shipped to their final destination in your body.
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