Lysosomes are nicknamed 'suicide bags' because they

1. Lysosomes contain about 40 digestive enzymes. 2. When the cell is old or injured, they rupture and release these enzymes. 3. The enzymes break down the cell's own organelles. 4. This self-digestion is why they are called suicide bags. _Source: Selina Concise Biology Class 9, Ch 2 Cell, the Unit of Life (Mistral OCR'd PDF), section 2.7 Lysosomes_