Monday, March 6, 2017

How do lysosomes inside a white blood cell break down the particulates of secondhand smoke?

Lysosomes can be thought of as the waste management system of a cell. These are the organelles that break down dead cell components, food, and foreign matter, such as viruses and bacteria. To achieve this purpose, the lysosomes contain a variety of enzymes that help in the breakdown of the material to be removed. Over forty different enzymes are secreted by the lysosomes, which can digest (practically) anything that is already present in the cell wall or comes into it from the outside.
Some examples of the enzymatic action of lysosomes include the breakdown of lipids by lipase, starch by amylase, proteins by the protease, and nucleic acids by the nuclease. Similarly, phosphoric acid breaks down monoesters.
In summary, the particulate matter from secondhand smoke can be broken down by the enzymatic action in the lysosomes. The particular type of the enzyme used will depend on the type of the particle inhaled. Given the vast variety of enzymes contained in the lysosomes, it is safe to assume that the lysosomes will be able to take care of the particles inhaled through secondhand smoke.

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