Macro and Micro Transportation by Qichen Deng
The science behind packaging and shipping can be explained microscopically. Think of a eukaryotic cell, the tiniest functional unit of a living thing. Yet, such a small, “invisible” thing also has in it a highly organized system of transportation. This endomembrane system is mainly composed of three organelles: endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and vesicles. Major macromolecules are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum and are sent to the Golgi apparatus via vesicles, sacs that perform intracellular transportation. After modifying, packaging, and tagging those molecules, the Golgi apparatus sends them to their destination inside or outside the cell through vesicles.
In a macroscopical perspective, the endoplasmic reticulum is the customer, entrusting the shipping company –– the Golgi apparatus –– to deliver its productions to their destination, while the vesicles are the people or vehicles that are involved in the actual transport. The benefit of this system is its efficiency and accuracy. If the endoplasmic reticulum does all the works –– producing, modifying, packaging, tagging, and transporting –– alone, then it will significantly reduce the rate at which a molecule is delivered to its place and increase the potential for making a mistake.
Controversially, by sharing the work with the Golgi apparatus, both of them are able to focus on doing their own jobs, which makes the process more efficient and reduces errors. Similarly, hiring a shipping company is more beneficial than moving items on your own, a process that requires a lot of effort, strength, skill, and time. Why ask the boss for a day off work just to go through the struggle of sticking a chair in the trunk of your car or trying to wrap your glassware in layers of newspaper and still worry that they might shatter during the trip when you can simply hire professionals to do all the work? They know how to handle heavy items, how to pack fragile objects, how to deliver them to the right place using the shortest possible time, and many other ways to ensure a satisfying stress-free moving process.
In terms of accuracy, the organelles of the cell are genetically programmed to function a specific way and rarely make mistakes. On the other hand, humans are not naturally born to transport items, therefore we are more vulnerable to make mistakes. Luckily, the professionals from the shipping companies are trained with the required skills to ensure a safe, fast, and accurate delivery. From the smallest functional unit of life to our bodies that are composed of trillions of those units, the science of packaging and shipping are very much the same. An organized system is essential to carry out these complex procedures in accurate and efficient manners. Fortunately, with the presence of shipping companies, the only effort that you have to devote is to contact one of them, and they will take care of the rest.Compared to the free, yet troublesome process of moving on your own, the services that the shipping companies provide are definitely worth the price. So before you roll up your sleeves and start to pack, why not take a moment to search and consider the alternative options out there.