Peroxisomes serve to produce hydrogen peroxide through oxidation, as well as break it down by converting it to water, or using the hydrogen peroxide to oxidize other organic compounds. They also produce energy by metabolizing fatty acids (Cooper, 2000).
Peroxisomes execute various metabolic functions and create hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct from the process of oxidation. However, since the hydrogen peroxide created by the peroxisome is toxic, the organelle also produces an enzyme called “catalase”. The catalase enzyme breaks down the hydrogen peroxide and converts it into water (Alberts, 2002). For an example, peroxisomes in the liver detoxify alcohol by converting the toxin’s hydrogen into oxygen. Peroxisomes also accomplish metabolic
Peroxisomes execute various metabolic functions and create hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct from the process of oxidation. However, since the hydrogen peroxide created by the peroxisome is toxic, the organelle also produces an enzyme called “catalase”. The catalase enzyme breaks down the hydrogen peroxide and converts it into water (Alberts, 2002). For an example, peroxisomes in the liver detoxify alcohol by converting the toxin’s hydrogen into oxygen. Peroxisomes also accomplish metabolic