Why are lysosomes known as suicide bags ?  

well, A cell may contain foreign bodies. It may be decaying and just beyond repair.
In such cases, it is better to destroy the cell.
Here, lysosomes come in.
They contain digestive enzymes, which when released, lead to the decomposition of the cell, hence killing it.

Hence the name, "suicide bag".

Answered by Satya ~ at 8:39 AM on October 01, 2008

Excess or worn out food particles are digested by lysososmes.IT acualy contains digestie enzymes.As the word lysosome is derived from the greek word meaning breaking or dissolving, it is called suicide bags by cell biologists..The interior of the lysosome is very acidic owing to its purpose of breaking into bits..The main thing is the lysosome contains degradative enzymes. In case its acid leaks into its outer covering…ie.the cytosol, its potential to damage the cell would be reduced

Answered by Vida Writer at 6:52 PM on September 30, 2008

Lysosomes are organelles that contain digestive enzymes (acid hydrolases). They digest excess or worn-out organelles, food particles, and engulfed viruses or bacteria. The membrane surrounding a lysosome allows the digestive enzymes to work at the 4.5 pH they require. Lysosomes fuse with vacuoles and dispense their enzymes into the vacuoles, digesting their contents. They are created by the addition of hydrolytic enzymes to early endosomes from the Golgi apparatus. The name lysosome derives from the Greek words lysis, which means dissolution or destruction, and soma, which means body. They are frequently nicknamed "suicide-bags" or "suicide-sacs" by cell biologists due to their role in autolysis. Lysosomes were discovered by the Belgian cytologist Christian de Duve in 1949.

At pH 4.8, the interior of the lysosomes is more acidic than the cytosol (pH 7.2). The lysosome's single membrane stabilizes the low pH by pumping in protons (H+) from the cytosol via proton pumps and chloride ion channels. The membrane also protects the cytosol, and therefore the rest of the cell, from the degradative enzymes within the lysosome. For this reason, should a lysosome's acid hydrolases leak into the cytosol, their potential to damage the cell will be reduced, because they will not be at their optimum pH.

Answered by Yogeshwar at 5:44 PM on September 29, 2008

Lysosome is an organelle of eukaryotic cells that contains hydrolytic enzymes active under acidic conditions and involved in intracellular digestion. This membrane-bound sub-cellular structure contains a unique collection of about 40 hydrolytic enzymes, including proteases, nucleases, lipases, glycosidases, phospholipases, phosphatases, and sulfates, all of which are acid hydrolases, optimally active near pH 5 (Alberts et al. 1989). They digest excess or worn-out organelles, food particles, and engulfed viruses or bacteria.

Lysosomes are part of the intricate coordination of diverse cellular components, each type of organelle and sub-cellular component fulfilling different but vital functions for the cell, all working together in harmony. Lysosomes utilize unique enzymes and various pathways (phagocytosis, endocytosis, autophagy) in fulfilling their particular role, designed to degrade only those macromolecules targeted for destruction. The unique surrounding membrane of the lysosome keeps these enzymes out of the cystosol, where they might damage proteins and nucleic acids, while the acid dependence of the enzymes provides some protection even in leakage given the higher pH (around 7.2) of the cytosol (Alberts et al. 1989).

The name lysosome derives from the Greek words lysis, which means dissolution or destruction, and soma, which means body. They are frequently nicknamed "suicide-bags" or "suicide-sacs" by cell biologists due to their role in autolysis (destruction of a cell through the action of its own enzymes). Lysosomes were discovered by the Belgian cytologist Christian de Duve in 1949.

Answered by Alok at 1:10 PM on September 27, 2008

lysosomes eat away other cellular organelles when they are damaged or about to die.,
they are enzymes filled 'bag' like structures..
so they are called suicide bags

Answered by Alok Rathi at 8:48 AM on September 27, 2008

A cell may contain foreign bodies. It may be decaying and just beyond repair.
In such cases, it is better to destroy the cell.
Here, lysosomes come in.
They contain digestive enzymes, which when released, lead to the decomposition of the cell, hence killing it.
Hence the name, "suicide bag".

Answered by Mohd Saqib at 1:27 AM on September 27, 2008

They are refferred to as "suicide-bags" due to their role in autolysis. Autolysis is a process by which a biological cell self-destructs. It is uncommon in adult organisms and usually occurs in injured cells or dying tissue. It occurs when a lysosome allows the digestive enzymes out of its membranes. The cell then, in effect, digests itself.

Answered by sanjay at 11:39 PM on September 26, 2008

lysosomes contain enzymes which are released by lysosomes when there is entry of foreign protein or substance in the cell .

Answered by Moksha G at 9:29 PM on September 26, 2008

lysosomes were frequently nicknamed "suicide-bags" or "suicide-sacs" by cell biologists due to their role in autolysis.
They are refferred to as "suicide-bags" due to their role in autolysis. Autolysis is a process by which a biological cell self-destructs. It is uncommon in adult organisms and usually occurs in injured cells or dying tissue. It occurs when a lysosome allows the digestive enzymes out of its membranes. The cell then, in effect, digests itself.

Answered by Shampa 2007 at 8:53 PM on September 26, 2008

well,Lysosomes are organelles that contain digestive enzymes (acid hydrolases). They digest excess or worn-out organelles, food particles, and engulfed viruses or bacteria. The membrane surrounding a lysosome allows the digestive enzymes to work at the 4.5 pH they require. Lysosomes fuse with vacuoles and dispense their enzymes into the vacuoles, digesting their contents. They are created by the addition of hydrolytic enzymes to early endosomes from the Golgi apparatus. The name lysosome derives from the Greek words lysis, which means dissolution or destruction, and soma, which means body. They are frequently nicknamed "suicide-bags" or "suicide-sacs" by cell biologists due to their role in autolysis. Lysosomes were discovered by the Belgian cytologist Christian de Duve in 1949.

At pH 4.8, the interior of the lysosomes is more acidic than the cytosol (pH 7.2). The lysosome's single membrane stabilizes the low pH by pumping in protons (H+) from the cytosol via proton pumps and chloride ion channels. The membrane also protects the cytosol, and therefore the rest of the cell, from the degradative enzymes within the lysosome. For this reason, should a lysosome's acid hydrolases leak into the cytosol, their potential to damage the cell will be reduced, because they will not be at their optimum pH.
Clinical relevance

There are a number of illnesses that are caused by the malfunction of the lysosomes or one of their digestive proteins, e.g., Tay-Sachs disease, or Pompe's disease. These are caused by a defective or missing digestive protein, which leads to the accumulation of substrates within the cell, impairing metabolism.

In the broad sense, these can be classified as mucopolysaccharidoses, GM2 gangliosidoses, lipid storage disorders, glycoproteinoses, mucolipidoses, or leukodystrophies.

Answered by Debashis at 8:52 PM on September 26, 2008