Lysosomes are responsible for the breakdown and absorption of materials taken in by the cell. During endocytosis, the cell membrane puckers up, forms a pouch around materials outside the cell, and pinches off to become a vesicle. If the contents need to be destroyed, lysosomes combine with the vesicle and release their enzymes. When a white blood cell engulfs a bacterium, it is the lysosomes that digest the bacteria. When a lysosome ruptures in a cell, it causes all of the cell's internal proteins to be digested.
Autolysis allows an organism to eliminate worn-out cells.
Maintenance crews do not get the glory of chief executive officers, or even that of the production worker, but they serve a very important purpose. Without lysosomes, the cell would accumulate too much junk and would not be able to function for very long. There is another major department in a cell factory, although it usually isn't given a department name in a regular factory. It's the walls, floors, and ceilings of a factory. Within the cytoplasm of the cell are many protein fibers that act as support structures.