Journey into the Cell: Peroxisomes

In Journey into the Cell, we looked at the structure of the two major types of cells: prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Now we turn our attention to peroxisomes.

What are peroxisomes?

Peroxisomes are microbodies. They are bound by a single membrane and contain enzymes that produce hydrogen peroxide as a by-product.

What are some distinguishing characteristics?

Peroxisomes contain enzymes that work by transferring hydrogen from a substrate to oxygen, thereby producing hydrogen peroxide as a by-product. Hydrogen peroxide is toxic to the cell, but peroxisomes also contain an enzyme that is capable of converting hydrogen peroxide to water.

Some functions of peroxisomes include detoxifying alcohol, bile acid formation, and using oxygen to break down fats. Similar to lysosomes, peroxisomes are excellent examples of compartmentalized structure relating to cellular function.

Peroxisomes reproduce by a process called peroxisomal biogenesis. They have the ability to assemble themselves. Peroxisomes have no DNA or ribosomes however, so they must take in proteins from the cytosol.

Journey into the Cell

To learn more about cell structures, visit:

• Nucleus
  
• Ribosomes
  
• Mitochondria
  
• Endoplasmic Reticulum
  
• Golgi Complex
  
• Lysosomes
  
• Cilia and Flagella
  
• Cytoskeleton

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