A small organelle (a type of microbody) that is bounded by a single membrane and found in plant and animal cells. It contains enzymes that are involved in the transfer of hydrogen from various compounds to oxygen, thereby generating the highly toxic compound hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Peroxisomal catalase breaks down the H₂O₂ into water and oxygen, thus preventing it from damaging other cell components. Peroxisomes contain a vast array of enzymes and perform a range of functions, including oxidation of fatty acids and synthesis of phospholipids. They work in conjunction with other cell organelles, particularly mitochondria and, in plants, chloroplasts. They are responsible for neutralizing toxins absorbed from the blood, such as alcohol, especially in cells of the liver parenchyma and proximal convoluted tubule of the kidney. In plants, peroxisomes detoxify certain by-products of photosynthesis and oxidize glycolate (produced by photorespiration) to glyoxylate, which can then be salvaged by a series of reactions involving mitochondria and chloroplasts as well as peroxisomes, ultimately to 3-phosphoglycerate, which can enter the Calvin–Bassham–Benson cycle.