The process by which cells engulf external materials by wrapping them in a portion of the plasma membrane to form an internal vesicle. This allows cells to take in nutrients, remove waste, or capture pathogens.
From Greek 'endon' meaning 'within', 'kytos' meaning 'cell', and 'osis' meaning 'process' or 'condition'. Coined in the 1960s to describe the newly understood process of cellular ingestion, contrasting with exocytosis (cellular secretion).
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