The process by which cells release materials by fusing vesicles with the cell membrane, causing the vesicle contents to be expelled outside the cell. This is how cells secrete hormones, neurotransmitters, and other important molecules.
From Greek 'exo' meaning outside and 'kytos' meaning cell, with the suffix '-osis' indicating a process or condition. The term was coined in the 1960s as scientists discovered how cells actively transport materials outward through membrane fusion.
Exocytosis is like the cell's shipping department - it packages materials in bubble-like vesicles and literally fuses them with the cell's outer wall to deliver cargo to the outside world! Without this process, your neurons couldn't communicate and your pancreas couldn't release insulin.
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