| Lysosomes and Endocytosis | |
| Lysosomes are membrane-bound vesicles that contain enzymes needed for intracellular digestion of all types of macromolecules | |
| Endocytosis is the process in which the cell takes up solutes or particles by enclosing them in vesicles (endosomes) pinched off from the plasma membrane | |
| 1 | Phagocytosis-endocytosis of large particles by engulfing them into a phagocytic vacuole (phagosome) |
| 2 | Pinocytosis-endocytosis of small amounts of liquid with its solute molecules |
| Material in endosomes is digested with the aid of lysosomes, which fuse with the endosomes | |
| Lysosomes join with phagosomes for defensive purposes such as to destroy invading bacteria | |
| Autophagic vacuoles are lysosomes that selectively digest portions of the cellís own cytoplasm as part of the normal turnover of cellular components | |
| Proteasomes are a nonlysosomal protein degradation system that has been recently discovered in eucaryotic cells, a few bacteria, and many archaea | |