OSMT (Ontario Society of Medical Technologists) Practice Exam

Which process involves lysosomes?

1. Energy release

2. Active transport

3. Mitosis

4. Phagocytosis

The correct answer is: Phagocytosis

Lysosomes are known as the cell's "garbage disposal" because they contain enzymes that break down waste materials and cellular debris. Phagocytosis is a process in which a cell engulfs solid particles by enclosing them in a vesicle called a phagosome. This phagosome then fuses with a lysosome, allowing the enzymes inside the lysosome to digest the ingested material. Therefore, the correct answer is D because phagocytosis involves the use of lysosomes to break down and digest solid particles engulfed by the cell. Options A, B, and C do not directly involve lysosomes. Energy release typically occurs in the mitochondria, active transport involves the movement of molecules across a cell membrane using energy, and mitosis is the process of cell division.