Compare lysosomes and proteasomes in cell degradation

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Both lysosomes and proteasomes are the cell's "garbage disposal" systems, but they are specialized for different jobs, different locations, and different types of waste.

Feature	Lysosome	Proteasome
What It Is	A membrane-bound organelle (a "bag" of enzymes).	A large, barrel-shaped protein complex.
Location	In the cytoplasm.	In the cytoplasm and the nucleus.
Primary Job	Bulk degradation. Digests large structures.	Specific degradation. Digests individual, selected proteins.
What It Degrades	Old/damaged organelles (via autophagy). Material from outside the cell (via endocytosis). Bacteria, viruses.	Misfolded or damaged proteins. Proteins that need to be removed for regulation (e.g., cell cycle control).
"Tag" for Destruction	No single tag. The "cargo" is enclosed in another membrane (an autophagosome or endosome) which then fuses with the lysosome.	A specific protein tag called ubiquitin. A chain of ubiquitin is attached to the protein, marking it for the proteasome.
Enzymes Used	Acid Hydrolases (proteases, lipases, nucleases, etc.) that work at low pH.	Proteases that work at neutral pH.

Analogy:

Think of the Lysosome as the city's incinerator or recycling plant. It takes in large, bulk items (like entire organelles, or garbage trucks full of material from outside) and breaks them all down into basic raw materials.

Think of the Proteasome as a document shredder. It's highly specific. It doesn't take the whole garbage truck; it only takes individual, tagged documents (ubiquitinated proteins) and shreds them into tiny pieces (peptides).

Compare lysosomes and proteasomes in cell degradation

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