What does the ER do in the animal cell?

Answer 1

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a maze-like organelle (a specialized cell part) that appears in all eukaryotic cells. (All eukaryotic cells have nuclei; the ER appear in all cells except bacteria, archaea, and cyanobacteria, the latter widely known as blue-green algae.) The ER is made of a series of membranes that extend throughout the jelly-like cytoplasm. The ER's main function is to manufacture and transport materials to other places.

The ER has two halves: rough ER and smooth ER. Rough ER is spotted with ribosomes (organelles made of RNA and proteins that produce more proteins from other RNA), while smooth ER contain no ribosomes. Instead, smooth ER makes lipids and does other things, like decomposing drugs and alcohol.

A protein made in a ribosome on rough ER enters the lumen of the ER, then the protein can be modified by attaching to sugar chains, which can help fold or stabilize the protein.

Answer 2

I understand the question refering to ER as Endoplasmic reticulum . Am I right?
If so then it is the designer house of proteins for the cell.
It produces proteins to order and these proteins are transported to various parts of the cell that need renewing.
There are 2 types of ER (rough & smooth) they have different functions. Check these out on answers.com or wiki.
Gooog luck
Shela
(Botanist)

Look the plant cell does have a endoplasmic reticulum.

(Ariane)

Answer 3

The Endoplasmic reticulum carries materials from one part of the cell to another.