Lysosomes are membrane bounded organelles found in animal and plant cells. They vary in shape, size and number per cell and appear to operate with slight differences in cells of yeast, higher plants and mammals.Lysosomes contribute to a dismantling and re-cycling facility. They assist with degrading material taken in from outside the cell and life expired components from within the cell.
Recent research suggests that lysosomes are organelles that store hydrolytic enzymes in an inactive state. The system is activated when a lysosome fuses with another particular organelle to form a ‘hybrid structure’ where the digestive reactions occur under acid (about pH 5.0) conditions. From this ‘hybrid structure’ a lysosome is reformed for re-use. Lysosomes play no part in determining which cells are eliminated. This is a function of the processes of programmed cell death (apoptosis) and phagocytosis. Lysosomes are neither the ‘suicide bags’ nor ‘garbage disposal units’ that these evocative terms would suggest. In humans, errors in the genetic code account for about 30 lysosomal storage disorders. |