lysosome

American  

[lahy-suh-sohm] / ˈlaɪ səˌsoʊm /

noun

Cell Biology.

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

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lysosome British  

/ ˈlaɪsəˌsəʊm /

noun

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

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lysosome Scientific  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• lysosomal adjective

Etymology

Origin of lysosome

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

Example Sentences

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 • Nov. 17, 2023

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

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2023

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

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2023

The vesicle fuses with a lysosome, and proteins inside the lysosome digest the food particle.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

This vesicle then fuses with a lysosome, and the food particle is broken down into small molecules that can diffuse into the cytoplasm and be used in cellular metabolism.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013