Apentix/AP Biology/Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function/Question
AP Biologymediummcq1 pt

Lysosomes hold a pH near 4.8 while the cytosol stays near 7.2. What advantage does this compartmentalization give a eukaryotic cell?

A.Acid hydrolases digest macromolecules efficiently inside the lysosome while cytosolic enzymes keep operating at neutral pH
B.The acidic lumen supplies energy harvested directly to synthesize ATP
C.Isolation lets digestive enzymes evolve faster than cytosolic genes
D.Acid would denature membrane lipids, so the cell stores it away from all membranes

Explanation

Core Concept

Hydrolytic enzymes reach optimal activity in acidic surroundings, so sealing them behind a membrane lets digestion run fast without exposing the rest of the cell to those conditions. Cytosolic reactions that require neutral pH continue undisturbed only a membrane thickness away. A single undivided compartment could not satisfy both pH optima at once, which is why internal membranes multiply the number of environments, and therefore reactions, a cell can sustain. V-type proton pumps keep the lumen acidic at ongoing ATP cost, and the surrounding membrane confines the acid safely.

Correct Answer

AAcid hydrolases digest macromolecules efficiently inside the lysosome while cytosolic enzymes keep operating at neutral pH

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