lysosome

Term: lysosome

Origin:  Anc Greek λύσις/lysis(dissolution or destruction) + σώμα/soma (=body)

Coined: in 1949,  by Belgian cytologist and biochemist DeDuve who shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1974 with Albert Claude and George Palade.

Definition:

Lysosomes  are  cellular spherical organelles contained by a single layer membrane which contain digestive enzymes in an acid pH. The major role of lysosomes is the degradation of  waste materials, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and other macromolecules into simple compounds.