Dear team members,
Please find my revised Three Definitions below.
Term: Lysosome.
Parenthetical Definition
Many undesirable molecules in cells find themselves transported to the lysosome (a small organelle that breaks down molecules).
Sentence Definition
Lysosomes are small organelles (specialized structures) in cells that play a major role in removing unwanted molecules by degrading them. Chemicals called acid hydrolases are used as tools to break down these unwanted molecules in lysosomes.
Expanded Definition
Lysosomes are small organelles in cells that play a major role in removing unwanted molecules by dissolving using chemicals called acid hydrolases.
The word lysosome has its origin in Greek and Latin, with its prefix lyso- meaning “to dissolve.” The suffix “-some” generally indicates a noun. Putting these two together a technical definition of the word “lysosome” can be determined to be “something that dissolves (something else).”
These organelles were discovered by Christian de Duve, when he showed that the level of acids increased when cells were exposed to harmful conditions such as decreased temperatures. He later went on to win the Nobel Prize for his discovery. At first, these organelles were not directly observed, only hypothesized based on experimental data. Later on, scientists used powerful microscopes called electron microscopes to directly observe lysosomes in a cell. Today, much is understood about lysosomes and their role in dissolving unwanted molecules in cells.
Figure 1. A cartoon diagram obtained from www.nursinghelpline24.com of a lysosome, including structural elements such as the lipid layer, membrane transport proteins, the membrane, and the hydrolytic enzyme mixture.
Lysosomes receive the molecules that have to be dissolved and the chemicals needed to dissolve the molecules through a complex process. Molecules and chemicals are attached to special signalers that are recognized by microtubule networks in the cell. These networks act like roads that can transport molecules and chemicals around the cell. Depending on their special signaler, molecules and chemicals may have different destinations. Once molecules arrive at the lysosome, they are absorbed into the organelle and dissolved by the acid molecules within.
Works Consulted
Hämälistö, S., & Jäättelä, M. (2016). Lysosomes in cancer—Living on the edge (of the cell). Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 39, 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceb.2016.02.009
Luzio, J. P., Pryor, P. R., & Bright, N. A. (2007). Lysosomes: Fusion and function. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 8(8), 622-. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine.
lys-. (n.d.) Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary. (2012). Retrieved September 30 2020 from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/lys-
Wartosch, L., Bright, N. A., & Luzio, J. P. (2015). Lysosomes. Current Biology, 25(8), R315–R316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.027
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