lysosome

[ lahy-suh-sohm ]

noun

, Cell Biology.

1. a cell organelle containing enzymes that digest particles and that disintegrate the cell after its death.

lysosome

/ ˈlaɪsəˌsəʊm /

noun

1. any of numerous small particles, containing digestive enzymes, that are present in the cytoplasm of most cells

lysosome

/ lī′sə-sōm′ /

1. A cell organelle that is surrounded by a membrane, has an acidic interior, and contains hydrolytic enzymes that break down food molecules, especially proteins and other complex molecules. Lysosomes fuse with vacuoles to digest their contents. The digested material is then transported across the organelle's membrane for use in or transport out of the cell.
2. See more at cell

Derived Forms

• ˌlysoˈsomal, adjective

Other Words From

• lyso·somal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lysosome¹

First recorded in 1950–55; lyso- + -some ³

Example Sentences

This waste bag is then transported to the cell's recycling center, the so-called lysosome, where its contents are broken down with the help of acid and enzymes.

From Science Daily

West said the study's most surprising findings are the tight bonds formed between the plastic and the protein within the area of the neuron where these accumulations are congregating, the lysosome.

From Science Daily

Autophagy is the intracellular recycling process whereby cells clean up damaged proteins; it derives its abilities from the lysosome.

From Science Daily

Another key protein, progranulin, regulates cell growth and a part of the cell called the lysosome that breaks down cellular waste products.

From Salon

All eukaryotes have the exact same set of organelles familiar to anyone who has studied cell biology: nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, cytoskeleton, lysosome and centriole.

From Scientific American