A microbody is usually a vesicle with a spherical shape, ranging from 0.2-1.5 micrometers in diameter. Microbodies are found in the cytoplasm of a cell, but they are only visible with the use of an EM. They are surrounded by a single phospholipid bilayer membrane and contain a matrix of intracellular material including enzymes and other proteins.
13 Microbodies contain enzymes that participate in biochemical reactions within the cell. This facilitates the breakdown of fats, alcohols and amino acids. Different types of microbodies have different functions: Peroxisomes: Functions to help in the break down of large molecules and detoxify hazardous substances. It contains enzymes like oxidase, which can create hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct of its enzymatic reactions. Within the peroxisome, hydrogen peroxide can then be converted to water by enzymes like catalase and peroxidase. Glyoxysomes: These are specialized microbodies found in plants and mold, which help to convert stored lipids into carbohydrates so they can be used for plant growth. In glyoxysomes the fatty acids are hydrolyzed to acetyl-CoA by peroxisomal β-oxidation enzymes. Besides peroxisomal functions, glyoxysomes also possess the key enzymes of the Glyoxylate cycle.