Жасуша ішіндегі сұйыққа толы қапшықтар (Vacuole)

Membrane bound organelle in cells containing fluid

A vacuole ('/v//æ//k//juː//oʊ//l/) is a membrane bound organelle which is present in plant and fungal cells and some protist, animal, and bacterial cells. Vacuoles are essentially enclosed compartments which are filled with water containing inorganic and organic molecules including enzymes in solution, though in certain cases they may contain solids which have been engulfed. Vacuoles are formed by the fusion of multiple membrane vesicles and are effectively just larger forms of these. The organelle has no basic shape or size; its structure varies according to the requirements of the cell.

Contractile vacuoles ("stars") were first observed by Spallanzani (1776) in protozoa, although mistaken for respiratory organs. Dujardin (1841) named these "stars" as vacuoles. In 1842, Schleiden applied the term for plant cells, to distinguish the structure with cell sap from the rest of the protoplasm. In 1885, de Vries named the vacuole membrane as tonoplast.

A contractile vacuole is a specialized osmoregulatory organelle that is present in many free living protists. The contractile vacuole is part of the contractile vacuole complex which includes radial arms and a spongiome. The contractile vacuole complex works periodically contracts to remove excess water and ions from the cell to balance water flow into the cell. When the contractile vacuole is slowly taking water in, the contractile vacuole enlarges, this is called diastole and when it reaches its threshold, the central vacuole contracts then contracts (systole) periodically to release water.

Food vacuoles (also called digestive vacuole) are organelles found in Ciliates, and Plasmodium falciparum, a protozoan parasite that causes Malaria.

In histopathology, vacuolization is the formation of vacuoles or vacuole like structures, within or adjacent to cells. It is an unspecific sign of disease.