Q. What are the morphological, chemical and functional similarities and differences between peroxisomes and lysosomes?
Similarities: Peroxisomes and lysosomes are small membranous vesicles that contain enzymes and enclose residual substances from external or internal origin degrading them. Differences: lysosomes have digestive enzymes (hydrolases) that break substances to be digested into small molecules peroxisomes contain enzymes that degrade mainly long-chained fatty acids and amino acids and that inactivate toxic agents including ethanol within peroxisomes there is the enzyme catalase responsible for the oxidation of organic compounds by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and when this substance is in excess, by the degradation of the peroxide into water and molecular oxygen.