1. A membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells that contains digestive enzymes and breaks down waste materials, dead cells, and foreign substances.
Usage: biology; cell biology

Examples

• Lysosomes are often called the cell's recycling centers because they break down and dispose of cellular waste.
• The lysosome fuses with a phagosome to digest bacteria that have been engulfed by the cell.
• Without properly functioning lysosomes, cells cannot efficiently remove damaged organelles.
• Scientists study lysosomes to understand how cells maintain themselves and prevent disease.
• The enzymes inside a lysosome are so powerful that they would destroy the cell if released into the cytoplasm.