Full Illustration



The enzymatic chemicals found in lysosomes are proteins formed by ribosomes on the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Part of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane encloses the proteins and transports them to the Golgi Body (or Apparatus). Here, the proteins are processed and packaged. The vacuole which emerges is called a lysosome.

The lysosome can then fuse with other organelles, or, as in the diagram, food vacuoles which enter the cell through phagocytosis, and then release the hydrolytic digestion enzymes into the vacuole. The entire process then, takes place within the combined, protective membrane of the lysosome and the vacuole being digested. The lysosome membrane maintains its efficient, low internal pH (acidic) by pumping in hydrogen ions from the cytosol. Waste is then removed from the cell by exocytosis.

For further explanations, see the following:


Four-Step Formation Chart
Phagocytosis/Digestion Illustration
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