Lysomes can be defined as membrane bound organelles, loaded with powerful hydrolytic enzymes. Lysomes are formed by Golgi bodies and the hydrolytic enzymes in lysomes help in intracellular digestion. On formation of a lysome, it is capable of fusing with a vesicle containing a substance to be digested.
Lysomes are found both in plants and animals carrying out specific functions of its own. In a single celled organism, lysomes are found to be part of the digestion process. In organisms with multicellular formation, lysomes break down cell organelles which are not useful anymore.
Lysomes also serve in the defence system of the body. Lysomes perform this function by destroying harmful bacteria. When a bacterium enters one's blood system, the white blood cells engulf it in the blood. When a bacterium is encircled within a cell, the cell membrane creates a vacuole around it and the lysomes fuse with the bacterium. In this process the chemical contents of the lysomes are released into the bacterium, destroying it in the process.
Lysomes are found both in plants and animals carrying out specific functions of its own. In a single celled organism, lysomes are found to be part of the digestion process. In organisms with multicellular formation, lysomes break down cell organelles which are not useful anymore.
Lysomes also serve in the defence system of the body. Lysomes perform this function by destroying harmful bacteria. When a bacterium enters one's blood system, the white blood cells engulf it in the blood. When a bacterium is encircled within a cell, the cell membrane creates a vacuole around it and the lysomes fuse with the bacterium. In this process the chemical contents of the lysomes are released into the bacterium, destroying it in the process.
