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They are small vesicles found around the cell. They have a single membrane that contains digestive enzymes for breaking down toxic materials in the cell. They differ from lysosomes in the type of enzyme they hold. Peroxisomes hold on to enzymes that require oxygen (oxidative enzymes). Lysosomes have enzymes that work in oxygen-poor areas and lower pH. Peroxisomes absorb nutrients that the cell has acquired. They are very well known for digesting fatty acids. They also play a part in the way organisms digest alcohol (ethanol). Because they do that job, you would expect liver cells to have more peroxisomes than most other cells in a human body. They also play a role in cholesterol synthesis and the digestion of amino acids. Creating Hydrogen Peroxide Peroxisomes work in a very specific way. Their enzymes attack complex molecules and break them down into smaller molecules. One of the byproducts of the digestion is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Peroxisomes have developed to a point where they are able to contain that hydrogen peroxide and break it down into water (H2O) and oxygen (O2). The water is harmless to the cell and the oxygen can be used in the next digestive reaction. Mysteries of the Peroxisome Peroxisomes have a single membrane that surrounds the digestive enzymes and dangerous byproducts of their work (hydrogen peroxide). The protein enzymes are usually created by lysosomes floating in the cell. They then insert the proteins into the peroxisome bubble. Peroxisomes continue to grow until they split in two. Where does the membrane come from? Scientists are still researching that answer. It may come from the endoplasmic reticulum, but it may be created in a way different from lysosomes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26858/ Summary
Peroxisomes are specialized for carrying out oxidative reactions using molecular oxygen. They generate hydrogen peroxide, which they use for oxidative purposes destroying the excess by means of the catalase they contain. Peroxisomes also have an important role in the synthesis of specialized phospholipids required for nerve cell myelination. Like mitochondria and plastids, peroxisomes are thought to be selfreplicating organelles. Because they contain no DNA or ribosomes, however, they have to import their proteins from the cytosol. A specific sequence of three amino acids near the C terminus of many of these proteins functions as a peroxisomal import signal. The mechanism of protein import is distinct from that of mitochondria and chloroplasts, and oligomeric proteins can be transported into peroxisomes without unfolding.
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/L/Lysosomes.html
Peroxisomes
Peroxisomes are about the size of lysosomes (0.51.5 m) and like them are enclosed by a single membrane. They also resemble lysosomes in being filled with enzymes. However, peroxisomes bud off from the endoplasmic reticulum, not the Golgi apparatus (that is the source of lysosomes). The enzymes and other proteins destined for peroxisomes are synthesized in the cytosol. Each contains a peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS) that binds to a receptor molecule that takes the protein into the peroxisome and then returns for another load. Two peroxisomal targeting signals have been identified:
a 9-amino acid sequence at the N-terminal of the protein; a tripeptide at the C-terminal.
Breakdown (by oxidation) of excess fatty acids. Breakdown of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a potentially dangerous product of fatty-acid oxidation. It is catalyzed by the enzyme catalase. [Link to further discussion] Participates in the synthesis of cholesterol. One of the enzymes involved, HMG-CoA reductase, is the target of the popular cholesterol-lowering "statins". Participates in the synthesis of bile acids. Participates in the synthesis of the lipids used to make myelin. Breakdown of excess purines (AMP, GMP) to uric acid.
Peroxisomes are also present in plant cells where they participate is such functions as
Peroxisome Disorders A variety of rare inherited disorders of peroxisome function occur in humans.
Most involve mutant versions of one or another of the enzymes found within peroxisomes.
Example: X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). This disorder results from a failure to metabolize fatty acids properly. One result is deterioration of the myelin sheaths of neurons. The disorder occurs in young boys because the gene is X-linked. An attempt to find an effective treatment was the subject of the 1992 film Lorenzo's Oil.
Example: Zellweger syndrome. This disorder results from the inheritance of two mutant genes for one of the receptors (PXR1) needed to import proteins into the peroxisome. Peroxisomes are also called microbodies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0CJZ9ulAdo
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/zellweger-spectrum
also important for the production of fats (lipids) used in digestion and in the nervous system. Peroxins assist in the formation (biogenesis) of peroxisomes by producing the membrane that separates the peroxisome from the rest of the cell and by importing enzymes into the peroxisome. Mutations in the genes that cause the Zellweger spectrum prevent peroxisomes from forming normally. Diseases that disrupt the formation of peroxisomes, including the Zellweger spectrum, are called peroxisome biogenesis disorders. If the production of peroxisomes is altered, these structures cannot perform their usual functions. The signs and symptoms of Zellweger syndrome are due to the absence of functional peroxisomes within cells. NALD and infantile Refsum disease are caused by mutations that allow some peroxisomes to form. Mutations in the PEX1 gene are the most common cause of the Zellweger spectrum and are found in nearly 70 percent of affected individuals. The other genes associated with the Zellweger spectrum each account for a smaller percentage of cases of this condition. Read more about the PEX1 gene. See a list of genes associated with Zellweger spectrum.