LYSOSOMES

The organelles for

degradation
 GROUP
NUMBER .4
PRESENTATION
TOPICS
• LYSOSOMES
• TYPES
• FUNCTIONS

Prepared by: Muhammad Ahsan Jahangir Awan.

 INTRODUCTION

• discovered by Belgian biochemist

Christian de Duve in 1955, later on it
is reported by P. Matile in 1964 in
Neurospora (a fungus).
• membranous vesicles appears as
tiny bag like structures with an
average diameter of0.23 – 0.5μ.
 Cont…
• regarded as the “digestive system of the cell” or
“suicidal bag “.
• term lysosome is derived from latin word “Lyein”
meaning to dissolve or loosen and “soma” meaning
body.
• mostly present in animals cells while only in some lower
plant groups (slime moulds and sprophytic fungi).
Meristamatic tissue of higher plants also found to
contain lysosomal vesicles.
 Cont…
• found in most abundant numbers in cells having
secretory functions such as liver cells, pancreatic
cells, kidney cells, spleen cells, leucocytes,
macrophages, etc
• originated from cisternae of Golgi body or from
the tubules of endoplasmic
reticulum.
• In animals, it is found suspended in cytoplasm in all
cell types except RBCs.
 GENERAL PROPERTIES
•
Contains atleast 50 different hydrolytic enzymes
(produced in the RER and targeted to this organelle)
• Taken together lysosomes can hydrolyze virtually every
type of biological macromolecule.
• enzymes share an important property i.e; have
their optimal activity at an acidic pH and are ACID
HYDROLASES.
 Cont…
• yield of enzymes is low after mild homogenization,
increases when the particles are treated with
hypotonic solutions
• Lysosomal membranes contain a variety of highly
glycosylated integral proteins whose carbohydrate chains
form a protective lining which shields the membrane
from attack by the enclosed enzymes and also protects
the rest of the cell from the destructive effects of the
enzyme.
Structure of
lysosome
 Types of
• Primary lysosome:
lysosomes
• Small sac-like structures, which contain enzymes
synthesized by the rough endoplasmic reticulum.
• It is actually a storage vesicles called as storage
granules storing enzymes.
• Secondary lysosome:
• It is formed by the fusion of primary lysosome
with endosome/phagosome
 Cont…
• It therefore contains engulfed particles in addition to
the hydrolyzing enzymes
• Engulfed/endocytosed particles are
progressively digested by the enzymes.
• Digestive vaculole:
• Small sac-like bodies containing foreign
materials engulfed by the cell
• Digestion or breaking down of the foreign body
takes place.
 Cont…
• Residual bodies:
• Secondary body with unhydrolysed residues due
to incomplete digestion of ingested particles.
• Unhydrolysed particles or residues either
remain inside the lysosome or discharged out.
 FUNCTIONS OF LYSOSOMES

• Intracellular Digetsion
• Within the secondary lysosomes, the ingested
material or those resulting from autophagy
are subjected to reaction of many
hydrolases.
• Carbohydrates are hydrolysed to
monosaccharides, proteins into dipeptides.
 Cont…
• Autophagy
• Lysosomes bring about the renovation and turn
over of cell components.
• Cytoplasmic organelles become surrounded by
membranes of SER and lysosomal enzymes
are discharged into the autophagal vacuoles
and the organelles are digested.
 Cont…
• Autophagy is a mechnaism by which less
important cell components are broken down to
facilitate survival.
• Removal of cell and extra cellular material
• Lysosomal bring about shedding or remodeling
of tissues with the removal of whole cells and
extra cellular material during developmental
process.
 Cont…

• Release of lysosomal enzymes

• Contents of the primary lysosomes may be
released into the extra cellular medium by
the process ofexocytosis
• This process is activated by
parathyroid hormone and inhibited by
calcitonin.
 Cont…

• Release of thyroid hormone

• Thyroid hormones (T3 &T4) are released from large
protein molecule called thyroglubilin stored within
the thyroid follicles
 Cont…

• Leucocyte granules are of lysosomal nature

• All leucocytes of vertebrates contain granules
which have many of the lysosomal enzymes.
• Monocytes have few lysosomes but when they
enter the tissue and are transformed into
macrophages they gain lysosomes
 Cont…
• Lysosomes imporatnt in germ cells
and fertilization
• The acrosome of spermatozoan can be
considered as the specialized lysosome which
contains PROTEASE and HYALURONIDASE
and abundant ACID PHOSPHATE
 Cont …

• During fertilization, hyaluronidase disperses the cells

of cumulus orphorus and protease digests zone
pellucide making a channel through which the
sperm nucleus penetrates the egg.
• In eggs lysosomes play a role in digetsion of
stored reserves.