Microbodies- Peroxisomes,

Glyoxysomes
• Microbodies are small cell organelles bounded
by single membrane which absorb molecular
oxygen and take part in oxidations other than
those involved in respiration.
• They are of two types: peroxisomes and
glyoxysomes.
• Peroxisomes are small , single-membrane-enclosed
organelles that contain enzymes involved in a variety of
metabolic reactions, including several aspects of energy
metabolism.
• Most human cells contain 100–1000 peroxisomes,
depending on the metabolic activity of the cell.
• Peroxisomes do not have their own genomes and all
their proteins are synthesized from the nuclear genome.
• Most peroxisomal proteins are synthesized on free
ribosomes and then imported into peroxisomes as
completed polypeptide chains.
• Some membrane proteins are transferred to peroxisomes
from the endoplasmic reticulum.
• The enzymes of peroxisomes are synthesized in the
ribosomes attached to the rough endoplasmic
reticulum.
• Liver peroxisomes contain four enzymes related to
the metabolism of H2O2.
• Three of them are urate oxidase, D-amino oxidase,
and oc-hydroxylic acid oxidase, which produce
peroxide (H2O2), and fourth is catalase which destroys
peroxide.
• Assembly of peroxisomes
• Proteins destined for peroxisomes are synthesized on
free ribosomes and imported into preexisting peroxisomes as
completed polypeptide chains.
• Protein import results in peroxisome growth and the
formation of new peroxisomes by division of old ones.
• Phospholipids are also imported to peroxisomes, via
phospholipid transfer proteins, from their major site of
synthesis in the ER.
• The import of proteins and phospholipids results
in peroxisome growth, and new peroxisomes are then formed
by division of old ones.
• Functions of Peroxisomes
• Peroxisomes contain at least 50 different enzymes, which are
involved in a variety of biochemical pathways in different types
of cells.
• Peroxisomes originally were defined as organelles that carry out
oxidation reactions leading to the production of hydrogen
peroxide. Because hydrogen peroxide is harmful to the cell,
peroxisomes also contain the enzyme catalase, which
decomposes hydrogen peroxide either by converting it to water
or by using it to oxidize another organic compound. 
• A variety of substrates are broken down by such oxidative
reactions in peroxisomes, including uric acid, amino acids,
and fatty acids.
• In animal cells, fatty acids are oxidized in both peroxisomes
and mitochondria, but in yeasts and plants fatty acid oxidation is
restricted to peroxisomes.
• Fatty acid oxidation in peroxisomes
• The oxidation of a fatty acid is accompanied by the production
of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from oxygen. The hydrogen
peroxide is decomposed by catalase, either by conversion to
water or by oxidation of another organic compound.
•  Peroxisomes are involved in lipid biosynthesis.
• In the liver, peroxisomes are also involved in the synthesis of
bile acids, which are derived from cholesterol. In addition,
peroxisomes contain enzymes required for the synthesis
of plasmalogens—a family of phospholipids. Plasmalogens are
important membrane components in some tissues, particularly
heart and brain, although they are absent in others.
• In plants (green leaves), peroxisomes carry out
photorespiration. In this process glycolic acid (2-carbon
product of photosynthesis) released from chloroplasts is
oxidised by glycolic acid oxidase present in peroxisomes.
• Glyoxysomes.
• Peroxisomes play two particularly important roles in plants. First,
peroxisomes in seeds are responsible for the conversion of
stored fatty acids to carbohydrates, which is critical to providing
energy and raw materials for growth of the germinating plant.
This occurs via a series of reactions termed the glyoxylate cycle,
which is a variant of the citric acid cycle. The peroxisomes in
which this takes place are sometimes called glyoxysomes.
• They are often found in microorganisms and in higher plants. In
addition to catalase and oxidase enzymes, they contain enzymes
of glyoxylate cycle for the conversion of lipid into carbohydrate
in the course of which hydrogen peroxide is produced. Enzyme
catalase decomposes hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen,
since hydrogen peroxide is a cell poison.