Final answer:
Lysosomes are essential for the degradation of materials within the cell, recycling of cellular components, digestion of pathogens, and immune response.
correct answer is a. recycle materials within the cell.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lysosomes play a critical role in cellular function by recycling materials within the cell, digesting worn-out or damaged organelles, fusing with food vacuoles to expose nutrients to lysosomal enzymes, and destroying harmful bacteria engulfed by white blood cells.
These organelles contain about 40 hydrolytic enzymes, such as lipases, proteases, and nucleases, which break down organic polymers of all types. The process of autophagy, or 'self-eating,' involves lysosomes digesting the cell's own structures. Furthermore, lysosomes are essential in the immune response where, for example, macrophages engulf bacteria that are then digested by enzymes within the lysosomes.
correct answer is a. recycle materials within the cell.