The Golgi apparatus is an organelle

Organelle

In cell biology, an organelle is a specialized subunit within a cell that has a specific function, and is usually separately enclosed within its own lipid bilayer....

 found in most eukaryotic cells

Cell (biology)

The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....

. It was identified in 1898 by the Italian physician Camillo Golgi

Camillo Golgi

Camillo Golgi was an Italian physician, pathologist, scientist, and Nobel laureate.-Biography:Camillo Golgi was born in the village of Corteno, Lombardy, then part of the Austrian Empire. The village is now named Corteno Golgi in his honour. His father was a physician and district medical officer...

, after whom the Golgi apparatus is named.

It processes and packages proteins inside of the cell and before they make their way to their destination; it is particularly important in the processing of proteins for secretion

Secretion

Secretion is the process of elaborating, releasing, and oozing chemicals, or a secreted chemical substance from a cell or gland. In contrast to excretion, the substance may have a certain function, rather than being a waste product...

. The Golgi apparatus forms a part of the cellular endomembrane system

Endomembrane system

The endomembrane system is composed of the different membranes that are suspended in the cytoplasm within a eukaryotic cell. These membranes divide the cell into functional and structural compartments, or organelles...

.

Due to its fairly large size, the Golgi apparatus was one of the first organelles to be discovered and observed in detail.