What is the importance of a cell enclosing its digestive enzymes inside lysosomes?

Question

Just wondering...... ♥

Answer 1

So the enzymes cant digest the cell itself.

Answer 2

It prevents the enzymes digesting other parts of the cell, so gives specificity to the degredation process.

It also allows there to be a compartment with low pH (acidic). Most digestive enzymes found in lysozomes need acidic conditions for optimal function. This is also partly a specificity consideration - should the enzymes accidentally get out of the lysosome, then the neutral pH in the cytosol will not be optimum and they will not efficiently degrade the cell.

Answer 3

The lysosome enzymes can just work on specific molecules instead of destroying necessary parts of the cell.

Answer 4

There are cases where the cell releases digestive enzymes with the intention of killing the cell. this happens when the cell detects certain malformed, defects, cell mutations that would cause cancer and such

Answer 5

It is to keep the digestive enzymes from digesting the cell...