Final answer:
The "garbage and recycling centre" of the cell in animal cells are the lysosomes. These organelles contain enzymes for the breakdown and recycling of cellular components and are essential for cell maintenance and apoptosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "garbage and recycling centre" of the cell that contains enzymes to break down large molecules and return them to the cell, serving a digestive function in animal cells, is known as the lysosome. Lysosomes are membrane-bound organelles that contain about 40 different types of hydrolytic enzymes, such as lipases, proteases, and nucleases. These enzymes enable the lysosome to break down various biomolecules, including proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, and nucleic acids, as well as recycle worn-out organelles through a process called autophagy.
Lysosomes are formed from vesicles that bud from the Golgi apparatus and they function to digest excess or worn-out organelles, food particles, and engulfed viruses or bacteria. The digestive processes of lysosomes are critical for cell maintenance, and they are also involved in apoptosis, the programmed cell death that is vital for development and the maintenance of healthy tissues. Given that the pH within lysosomes is more acidic than the cytoplasm, the enzymes contained within are active in this lower pH environment, which also safeguards the rest of the cell from potential damage that could be caused by these enzymes if they were to leak out.