Meaning & use
lysosome
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Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A small sac inside an animal cell that holds enzymes able to break down worn-out parts, waste and swallowed particles.
Grammar: Countable: one lysosome, many lysosomes.
Patterns
- lysosomes in a cell
- enzymes inside a lysosome
The lysosome digests old cell parts so their materials can be reused.
White blood cells use lysosomes to destroy bacteria they have engulfed.
Scientists studied a disease in which the lysosomes cannot clear waste.
Word forms
| plural | lysosomes |
|---|
Common combinations
- lysosomal enzyme
- A lysosomal enzyme broke down the damaged protein.
- lysosomal digestion
- Lysosomal digestion recycles worn-out cell parts.
- lysosome membrane
- The lysosome membrane keeps its enzymes from harming the cell.
- burst lysosome
- A burst lysosome can release enzymes that damage the cell.
- lysosome storage disease
- The child was diagnosed with a lysosome storage disease.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: lysosome or ribosome? lysosome or mitochondrion?
lysosome vs ribosome
A ribosome builds proteins, whereas a lysosome breaks material down; the names differ by their first syllables.
lysosome vs mitochondrion
A mitochondrion produces energy for the cell, but a lysosome digests waste.
Practice
Which cell part contains enzymes that break down worn-out cell material?
Choose one answer.
The lysosome digests waste and old cell parts. A ribosome is the tempting wrong answer because the names sound alike, but ribosomes build proteins.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lysosome”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.