What is formed when a phagosome fuses with a lysosome?

What is formed when a phagosome fuses with a lysosome?

• A. Phagolysosome
• B. Phagosome
• C. Lysosome
• D. Endosome

Answer: (A)

Fusion of a phagosome with a lysosome forms a phagolysosome, the digestive compartment created during phagocytosis. The phagosome brings in the ingested material, while the lysosome supplies acidic conditions and hydrolytic enzymes (proteases, lipases, nucleases, etc.). When they merge, the enzymes inside the lysosome can efficiently break down the contents inside the vesicle, destroying pathogens and debris. A phagosome by itself is just the vesicle with the ingested particle, a lysosome is the enzyme-filled organelle before fusion, and an endosome is a different sorting vesicle involved in receptor-mediated trafficking. Thus, the fused structure is the phagolysosome.

Fusion of a phagosome with a lysosome forms a phagolysosome, the digestive compartment created during phagocytosis. The phagosome brings in the ingested material, while the lysosome supplies acidic conditions and hydrolytic enzymes (proteases, lipases, nucleases, etc.). When they merge, the enzymes inside the lysosome can efficiently break down the contents inside the vesicle, destroying pathogens and debris. A phagosome by itself is just the vesicle with the ingested particle, a lysosome is the enzyme-filled organelle before fusion, and an endosome is a different sorting vesicle involved in receptor-mediated trafficking. Thus, the fused structure is the phagolysosome.