DIGESTIVE VACUOLE Meaning and
Definition
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A digestive vacuole is a specialized compartment, typically found within cells of protists, responsible for the process of intracellular digestion. It functions as a type of organelle that contains and digests various substances, such as food particles or invading pathogens.
The digestive vacuole is formed by the fusion of a food vacuole, which engulfs and encloses the ingested material through a process called phagocytosis, with a lysosome. The lysosome contains hydrolytic enzymes, including proteases, lipases, and carbohydrases, that aid in the breakdown of macromolecules into smaller components. The fusion of the food vacuole and lysosome forms a digestive vacuole, which allows the enclosed material to be broken down and its nutrients extracted.
The digestive vacuole plays a crucial role in the intracellular digestion of foreign material or nutrients, serving as a site for the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids into their respective building blocks. Once the digestion is complete, the vacuole releases the resulting molecules into the cytoplasm for further utilization by the cell.
In certain organisms, such as the extensively studied amoeba, the digestive vacuole also serves as a storage site for waste products generated during digestion. These waste products, once expelled from the cell, help maintain cellular homeostasis and prevent the accumulation of potentially harmful substances.
Overall, the digestive vacuole is an essential component of intracellular digestion, facilitating the breakdown and utilization of ingested nutrients while aiding in waste management within the cell.
Common Misspellings for DIGESTIVE VACUOLE
- sigestive vacuole
- xigestive vacuole
- cigestive vacuole
- figestive vacuole
- rigestive vacuole
- eigestive vacuole
- dugestive vacuole
- djgestive vacuole
- dkgestive vacuole
- dogestive vacuole
- d9gestive vacuole
- d8gestive vacuole
- difestive vacuole
- divestive vacuole
- dibestive vacuole
- dihestive vacuole
- diyestive vacuole
- ditestive vacuole
- digwstive vacuole
- digsstive vacuole
Etymology of DIGESTIVE VACUOLE
The term "digestive vacuole" is composed of two main components: "digestive" and "vacuole".
The term "digestive" originates from the Latin word "digestivus", which is derived from "digestus", the past participle of the verb "digerere". "Digerere" is a combination of the prefix "di-" (indicates completion) and "gerere" (to carry or carry out). Therefore, "digestive" refers to something related to digestion or the process of breaking down food.
The word "vacuole" has its roots in the Latin term "vacuus", which means empty or void. It entered the English language from the French word "vacuole", which further originated from the Latin term "vacuus".
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