Junk inside cells

Cells are constantly breaking down big molecules into smaller ones. One of the reasons why they have to do it is because the molecule doesn’t work like it should do. But why does these molecules loose there function? Well, because there have been chemically altered. Sometimes a molecule is created for which your body doesn’t have the machinery to break it down. These big molecules accumulate in your cells. Just like polyethylene on a landfill, no single micro-organism is capable of breaking down polyethylene, so it stays there forever. These molecules accumulate in the lysosomes. The lysosomes are organelles that contain digestive enzymes. The function of a lysosome is to break down molecules and even hole parts of the cell that are to damaged to work (autophagy). When cells dived the junk is divided into two cells, so these cells have some kind of protection against to much junk. But cells that doesn’t divide are gradually filled which junk. These cells include nerve cells (motor neurons), heart cells, white blood cells trapped within the artery wall and some cells in the eye. This can lead to macular degradation (blindness), arthrosclerosis (heart attacks and strokes), some neurodegenerative diseases. A good example of what happen if junk is stored in lysosomes is Tay-Sachs disease. In this disease people the enzyme hexosaminidase A needed to break down gangliosides isn’t working properly. Scientists are developing enzymes that could break down these resistant molecules.

1. Nucleolus
2. Nucleus
3. Ribosome
4. Vesicle
5. Rough endoplasmic reticulum
6. Golgi apparatus
7. Cytoskeleton
8. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
9. Mitochondrion
10. Vacuole
11. Cytoplasm
12. Lysosome
13. Centriole