A

David

Darling

microbody

A microbody is a membrane-bounded cytoplasmic organelle that contains oxidative enzymes. Microbodies possess a single membrane, are frequently spherical, and typically measure from 20 to 60 nanometers in diameter. They are occur in many types of eukaryotic cells, including those of animals, higher plants, and protozoa. In vertebrates, they are particularly numerous in liver and kidney cells.

 

Microbodies are believed to originate in the endoplasmic reticulum. Two principal types are peroxisomes, found in vertebrates, and glyoxysomes, found in plants and microorganisms.