What are Lysosomes?
Lysosomes are sphere-shaped cell organelle that is found within the eukaryotic animal cells and has the capability of breaking down many types of biomolecules. They are also being called the suicidal bags of the cell. The term lysosomes were derived by Christian de Duve who was a Belgian biologist, who even got a Nobel prize in medicine or physiology in 1974. The specific function of the lysosomes is breaking down the cellular wastes and debris which is done by engulfing them with hydrolytic enzymes.
Structure of Lysosomes
Lysosomes are the organelles whose membrane is bounded by a membrane the area which is within the membrane is known as the lumen and it contains hydrolytic enzymes and other cellular debris. The pH level of the lumen always lies between 4.5 and 2.0, which helps in making it quite acidic. It can be compared with the functions of acids that are found within the stomach. The size of every lysosome varies with each other. Lysosomes are there in various cellular processes like energy metabolism, counting discharged materials, restoration of the plasma membrane, cell signaling, and many more.
Functioning of Lysosomes
One of the most important functions of Lysosomes is the removal of waste and digestion. Through the process of endocytosis, the foreign particles are being pulled into the cells. The cell membrane falls in on itself and creates a pouch around the external contents, and lastly brings those contents into the cell, then the process of endocytosis happens. On the other hand, the discarded wastes and other substances which originate from within the cell are being digested by the process named autophagy whose other name is autophagocytosis. In this process, degradation or disassembly of the cellular components involves a natural and regulated mechanism.
Lysosomal Disease
Nuclear genes organize the production of enzymes in the lysosomes. Nuclear genes are those genes that are being located within the nucleus of a cell, especially in eukaryotes. If there are any mutations in these genes, it will result in the emergence of a lot of human genetic ailments which are collectively called LSD (lysosomal storage diseases).
Lysosomes as the Therapeutic Targets
There are a lot of lysosomal pathways and their components that can represent the potential pharmacological targets for a huge number of diseases. When we consider lysosomes as the targets, it is very important to note down the need for specificity, i.eThe agents will not target all lysosomes, but they will especially target those lysosomes which are defective in a few organs, cells, or tissues. For several reasons, it is very important to target lysosomes and not to target the whole autophagy process. Firstly, regarding safety, the important role of lysosomes in many key physiological processes means that the therapeutic windows for the intervention of pharmacology with unacceptable side effects may be limited.
Summary of Lysosomes
Lysosomes are cell organelles almost exclusively found in eukaryotic animal cells
Lysosomes are membrane-bound spherical sacs crammed with hydrolytic enzymes
These enzymes can break down many sorts of biomolecules like proteins and fats
Lysosomes are known as the ‘Suicidal Bags’ as they have the capacity to destroy the cell wall with its digestive enzymes, causing autolysis of the cell
Lysosomal enzymes are synthesized within the rough endoplasmic reticulum, where they've brought in by the Golgi body through tiny vesicles. It eventually merges with bigger acidic vesicles
Mutations of the nuclear gene may end in the emergence of rare, diverse human genetic ailments, which are called lysosomal storage diseases or LSD
FAQs on Lysosomes
1. What are Lysosomes?
Lysosomes are sphere-shaped sacs which when combined with hydrolytic enzymes have the potential to churn down many kinds of biomolecules.
2. Where are Lysosomal Enzymes made?
Lysosomes comprise over 50 different enzymes. They are synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Once synthesized, the enzymes are brought in from the Golgi body in tiny vesicles or sacs, which then merges with bigger acidic vesicles.
3. Who coined the term Suicide Bags for Lysosomes?
The term was coined by Christian de Duve, a Belgian biologist, who discovered it and ultimately got a Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in the year 1974.
4. What is the role of Lysosomes in plants?
In plants, the role of lysosomes is undertaken by the vacuoles as traditional cell biology dictates. However, recent discoveries point out that the function of vacuoles is quite similar to the functions of a lysosome in animal cells.
5. Why are lysosomes known as Suicidal Bags?
As stated before, lysosomes work because the waste discards structures of the cell by processing undesirable materials and degrading them, both from the outside of the cell and waste constituents inside the cell. But sometimes, the digestive enzymes may find themselves damaging the lysosomes themselves, and this will cause the cell to die. This is termed as autolysis, where “auto” means “self” and “lysis” means “the disintegration of the cell by the destruction of its cell membrane“.Hence, lysosomes are mentioned as “Suicidal Bags” of the cell.
