page_title: Vesicle (biology and chemistry)
section_title: Types of vesicular structures
hierarchical_section_title: Vesicle (biology and chemistry) / Types of vesicular structures
caption_attribution_description: English: Electron micrograph of the delivery of a heme detoxification protein to the malaria parasite food vacuole. fv, food vacuole; fvm, fv membrane; hz, hemozoin; hdp, heme detoxification protein; tv, transport vesicle. Bar, 0.5 µm. The protein is labeled with a specific antibody bound to gold particles (immuno-electron microscopy).
context_page_description: In cell biology, a vesicle is a structure within or outside a cell, consisting of liquid or cytoplasm enclosed by a lipid bilayer. Vesicles form naturally during the processes of secretion, uptake and transport of materials within the plasma membrane. Alternatively, they may be prepared artificially, in which case they are called liposomes. If there is only one phospholipid bilayer, they are called unilamellar liposome vesicles; otherwise they are called multilamellar. The membrane enclosing the vesicle is also a lamellar phase, similar to that of the plasma membrane, and intracellular vesicles can fuse with the plasma membrane to release their contents outside the cell. Vesicles can also fuse with other organelles within the cell. A vesicle released from the cell is known as an extracellular vesicle.
  Vesicles perform a variety of functions. Because it is separated from the cytosol, the inside of the vesicle can be made to be different from the cytosolic environment. For this reason, vesicles are a basic tool used by the cell for organizing cellular substances. Vesicles are involved in metabolism, transport, buoyancy control, and temporary storage of food and enzymes.
caption: Electron micrograph of a cell containing a food vacuole (fv) and transport vacuole (TV) in a malaria parasite.
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