Abstract
TERMS such as phagocytosis1, pinocytosis2 and micropinocytosis3 have been used to refer to engulfing phenomena in which various types of materials are drawn into cells by means of invagination of the plasma membrane. Additional terms have been used to refer to processes in which cellular constituents are released from cells, such as reverse pinocytosis4 and emiocytosis5. De Duve6 has proposed the generic terms endocytosis and exocytosis for the two processes. Palade7 has pointed out that these latter expressions are etymologically inaccurate because endo means “in” or “within” and is rarely used with the sense “inwards”. Conversely, exo refers to “outside” and not “outwards”. He also points out that cytosis merely refers to cell activity without further specification (but -osis is also used to indicate a state of increase or production).
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LABELLA, F., KRASS, M. New Terminology for Cellular Ingestion and Egestion. Nature 220, 1141–1142 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/2201141a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2201141a0
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