Topic summary
Phagolysosomes
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Phagolysosome.
Function
Phagolysosomes function by reducing the pH of their internal environment. The phagolysosome becomes increasingly acidic through the action of V-ATPase proton pumps, reaching a pH as low as 4.5-5.0. This acidic environment is essential for the activation of hydrolytic enzymes and the denaturation of microbial proteins. This serves as a defense mechanism against microbes and other harmful parasites and also provides a suitable medium for degradative enzyme activity.