Structural differences contrast higher plant and animal Golgi apparatus.

The intercisternal spacings between cisternae of dictyosomes of higher plants differ from those of mammalian dictyosomes. In plants, the spacings increase from an average of about 8.0 nm at the forming face to about 14.0 nm at the maturing face. The increase in spacing coincides with the appearance within the intercisternal space of parallel filaments called intercisternal elements. In mammals, the intercisternal spacings are more nearly constant, and intercisternal elements have not been observed. Plant and animal dictyosomes may differ as well in the relative widths of the cisternal lumina, the widths of the intercisternal spacings, and in more subtle ways involving the appearance of the membranes. These structural differences may be indicative of some functional differences that contrast higher plant and animal Golgi apparatus.