In which part of the cell do proteins get sorted for their final destination?

The Golgi apparatus is integral to the sorting and distribution of proteins within the cell. It acts as a processing center where proteins received from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are modified, packaged into vesicles, and directed to their appropriate destinations. This organelle alters proteins through glycosylation and other modifications, which are crucial for the proteins to function correctly at their final sites.

Within the Golgi apparatus, proteins are sorted based on specific signals and tags that determine their final destination, which can include secretion outside the cell, delivery to lysosomes, or integration into cellular membranes. This process is critical for cellular organization and function, making the Golgi apparatus the key site for protein sorting.

In contrast, the other options listed do not primarily function in the sorting of proteins for their final destinations. The nucleus serves mainly as the storage site for genetic material; the mitochondria are involved in energy production and have their own protein sorting mechanisms for proteins synthesized within them; and peroxisomes are involved in metabolic processes but not in the general sorting and trafficking of cellular proteins.