How to Care for Your Pet Lysosome
A Lecture on Suicide-bags by Matthew Finlayson
Your Lysosome is an
Organelle that Enjoys...
Lysing or breaking down materials such as
macromolecules, foreign bodies, and other
organelles
Recycling cell parts
WARNING: Lysosomes are one use organelles
The Components of Lysosomes
It is important to know how your new pet works.
Lipase - breaks down lipids
Amylase - breaks down amylose, starch
maltodextrin
Protease - breaks down proteins
Nuclease - breaks down nucleic acids
Phosphoric acid
Make sure that your Lysosome is well fed! They can become aggressive towards foreign bodies.
Lysosome
Foreign body
The Lysosome joins with a membrane containing a foreign body or organelle which is no longer in use. It's enzymes work to break down the foreign body into useful monomers.
Getting to Know Your
Lysosome
Membrane
----Enzymes
-----Acid pH 4.8
In a Lysosome, the membrane keeps the dangerous enzymes and acid away from the rest of the cell. It is made of lipids
with phosphate heads. The enzymes are made to break down proteins and macromolecules and then break down
dangerous enzymes when they have done their job. The acid is to optimize the enzyme working environment.
To Best Relate to your
Lysosome
Think of your lysosome as a recycling plant. It consumes complex material and churns out useful
raw material. They digest things for the cell. Another use that lysosomes have is to play a part of
autolysis, when cells kill themselves off. This is why they are nicknamed “suicide-bags.”
Good Luck.
Bibliography
Campbell, N. A., Reece, J. B., Taylor, M. T., Simon, E. J., Dickey, J. L. (2009). Biology: Concepts and
Connections. (6th ed.) San. Fransico, CA. Pearson Benjamin Cummings.
Why perioxomes are different from lysosomes. 2 Dec. 2002. Cyto Chemistry. N.p., 2 Dec. 2002. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. <http://
www.cytochemistry.net/ cell-biology/lysosome.htm>.