A cell engulfs a foreign substance through endocytosis, a form of active transport. During endocytosis, the cell membrane puckers up, forms a pouch around materials outside the cell, and pinches off to become a vesicle. If the contents need to be destroyed, lysosomes combine with the vesicle and release their enzymes.

Types

 clathrin-mediated endocytosis
 clathrin-independent endocytosis (non-clathrin endocytic pathways)

See also

 endosomes (endocytic vesicles)

• clathrin-dependent endocytosis
  • clathrin-containing endosomes

• clathrin-independent endocytosis
  • clathrin-independent endosomes
  • non-clathrin endocytic pathways
  • caveosomes (caveolin-1-containing endosomes)

References

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 Nichols B. Caveosomes and endocytosis of lipid rafts. J Cell Sci. 2003 Dec 1;116(Pt 23):4707-14. PMID: #14600257# References

 Nichols B. Caveosomes and endocytosis of lipid rafts. J Cell Sci. 2003 Dec 1;116(Pt 23):4707-14. PMID: #14600257#

 Polo S, Pece S, Di Fiore PP. Endocytosis and cancer. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2004 Apr;16(2):156-61. PMID: #15196558#

 Robinson MS. Adaptable adaptors for coated vesicles. Trends Cell Biol. 2004 Apr;14(4):167-74. PMID: #15066634#

 McPherson PS. The endocytic machinery at an interface with the actin cytoskeleton: a dynamic, hip intersection. Trends Cell Biol. 2002 Jul;12(7):312-5. PMID: #12185847#

 van der Goot FG, Gruenberg J. Oiling the wheels of the endocytic pathway. Trends Cell Biol. 2002 Jul;12(7):296-9. PMID: #12185843#

 Kholodenko BN. MAP kinase cascade signaling and endocytic trafficking : a marriage of convenience ? Trends Cell Biol. 2002 Apr ;12(4):173-7. PMID : #11978536#

 Nichols BJ, Lippincott-Schwartz J. Endocytosis without clathrin coats. Trends Cell Biol. 2001 Oct;11(10):406-12. PMID: #11567873#

 Takei K, Haucke V. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis: membrane factors pull the trigger. Trends Cell Biol. 2001 Sep;11(9):385-91. PMID: #11514193#

 Betz WJ, Mao F, Smith CB. Imaging exocytosis and endocytosis. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 1996 Jun;6(3):365-71. PMID: #8794083#