PEROXISOMES
Haley Nathanson
WHAT ARE PEROXISOMES?
Peroxisomes are membrane-bound organelles
found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells.
Peroxisomes contain enzymes that oxidize fatty
acids and amino acids.
Stained human
peroxisome

ANATOMY OF PEROXISOMES
FUNCTION
Peroxisomes are responsible for protecting the cell
from the production of hydrogen peroxide.
Peroxisomes contain an oxidation enzyme, known
as catalase.
Catalase breaks down the hydrogen peroxide to
form one oxygen molecule and two water
molecules.
BREAKDOWN OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
 2H2O2
hydrogen
peroxide
→
catalase
2H2O + O2
2 water
molecules
1 oxygen
molecule
PEROXISOME BIOGENESIS DISORDERS
Zellweger Syndrome (ZS)
 Most Severe
Neonatal Adrenoleukodystrophy (NALD)
Infantile Refsum Disease (IRD)
 Least Severe
All of these disorders are caused by defective peroxisomes.
ZELLWEGER SYNDROME (ZS)
Facial features of a child with ZS
NEONATAL ADRENOLEUKODYSTROPHY
(NALD)
INFANTILE REFSUM DISEASE (IRD)
WORKS CITED
 "Neonatal Adrenoleukodystrophy." Penn Medicine. The University of Pennsylvania Health
System,, 1 Dec. 2001. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.pennmedicine.org/encyclopedia/em_DisplayImage.aspx?gcid=17277&ptid=2>.
 "INFANTILE REFSUM DISEASE." — Windows Of Hope. St. George's, University of London
and University of Arizona, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.wohproject.org/Disorders/a-z/infantile-refsum-disease-1/infantile-refsumdisease>.
 "NINDS Infantile Refsum Disease Information Page." Infantile Refsum Disease Information
Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar.
2014. <http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/refsum
 "Diseases &amp Conditions." <i>Cleveland Clinic</i>. Cleveland Clinic, n.d. Web. 14 Mar.
2014.
&lt;http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/adrenoleukodystrophy/hic_what_is_adrenoleuk
odystrophy.aspx&gt;.
 "Zellweger Syndrome." Indian Pediatrics - Editorial. Indian Pediatrics, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.indianpediatrics.net/july2003/july-682.htm>.
WORKS CITED (CONTINUED)
 "Peroxisomes." Molecular Expressions Cell Biology: Animal Cell Structure - Peroxisomes. Michael
Davidson and The Florida State University, 10 May 2005. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
<http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/peroxisomes/peroxisomes.html>.
 Cooper, John. "peroxisome (biology)." <i>Encyclopedia Britannica Online</i>.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
&lt;http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/452457/peroxisome&gt;.
 "The Human Protein Atlas." Vesicles (Peroxisomes). The Human Protein Atlas, n.d. Web. 14
Mar. 2014. <http://www.proteinatlas.org/dictionary/cell/vesicles+(peroxisome)+2>.