Question

A membrane-bound sac containing only digestive enzymes in an environment with a lower pH than the surrounding cytoplasm is called a _______?

1) Lysosome
2) Golgi apparatus
3) Endoplasmic reticulum
4) Mitochondria

Answer 1

A membrane-bound sac designed for digestion with a lower internal pH than the surrounding cytoplasm is known as a lysosome, which contains digestive enzymes and is part of the endomembrane system. Option number 1 is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

A membrane-bound sac containing only digestive enzymes in an environment with a lower pH than the surrounding cytoplasm is called a lysosome.

Discovered by Belgian scientist Christian de Duve in the 1960s, lysosomes are part of the endomembrane system of eukaryotic cells and play a crucial role in breaking down various particles like food, damaged organelles, cellular debris, microorganisms, and immune complexes. Lysosomes maintain an acidic environment, optimal for their digestive enzymes, due to proton pumps in their membranes that pump hydrogen ions into their lumen. This function is critical for the cell to digest matter without damaging other cellular components.