Question

(a) Which cell organelles are referred to as suicide bags?
(b) Mention the scientific contribution of C. de Duve.

Answer 1

(a) Lysosomes are small vesicles which are bounded by a single membrane and contains hydrolytic enzymes in the form of minute crystalline or semicrystalline granules of 5-8 nm. Lysosomes are the cell organelles which are called suicide bags because of the presence of a large number of digestive enzymes or acid hydrolases in them. Only a thin membrane separates the destructive enzymes from the rest of the cell. If the membrane happens to get broken, the various cellular constituents would undergo lysis.
(b) C. de Duve was a Belgian scientist. In 1955, he discovered lysosomes accidentally through fractionation technique.