What are the differences between lysosomes and endosomes?
Posted October 2, 2023
Answer
Lysosomes:
- Lysosomes are organelles that contain about 40 different types of degradative hydrolytic enzymes including phosphatases, lipases, nucleases, glycosidases, proteases, phospholipases, and sulfatases.
- Lysosomes fuse with endosomes allowing degradative lysosomal enzymes to assist in the digestion of materials inside the endosome.
- 3 types of lysosomes: endolysosome, phagolysosome, and autophagolysosome.
Endosomes:
- Endosomes are vesicles that enclose solid extracellular materials and pathogens internalized during endocytosis.
- In addition to the internalized material, endosomes also contain nutrients.
- Endosomes store internalized materials until they are completely digested.
- Their primary function involves internal sorting.
- 3 types: early endosome, late endosome, and recycling endosome.
Additional resources
Endosomes, lysosomes, and the role of endosomal and lysosomal biogenesis in cancer development