lysosome /lī″səsōm/ [Gk, lysein + soma, body] , a cytoplasmic, membrane-bound particle that contains hydrolytic enzymes that function in intracellular digestive processes. The organelles are found in most cells but are particularly prominent in leukocytes and the cells of the liver and kidney. If the hydrolytic enzymes are released into the cytoplasm, they cause self-digestion of the cell. Thus lysosomes may play an important role in certain self-destructive diseases characterized by the wasting of tissue, such as muscular dystrophy. Compare lysozyme.
