The
glycosome is a
membrane-enclosed
organelle that contains the
glycolytic enzymes. The term was first used by Scott and Still in 1968 after they realized that the glycogen in the cell was not static but rather a dynamic organelle. It is found in a few species of
protozoa including the Kinetoplastida which included the suborders Trypanosomatina and Bodonina, most notably in the human
pathogenic trypanosomes, which can cause
sleeping sickness and
Chagas's disease, and
Leishmania. The organelle is bounded by a single membrane and contains a dense
proteinaceous matrix. It is believed to have evolved from the
peroxisome. This has been verified by work done on Leishmania genetics.