A&P Lecture 1.7: Secretory Vesicles

This is an in depth  explanation of the Secretory Vesicle as a part of the cell. This lecture note is linked to A&P Lecture 1: The Cell

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LECTURE 1.7

SECRETORY VESICLE

The membrane-bound secretory vesicles that pinch off from the Golgi apparatus move to the surface of the cell, their membranes fuse with the plasma membrane, and the contents of the vesicle are released to the exterior by exocytosis. The membranes of the vesicles are then incorporated into the plasma membrane.

Secretory vesicles accumulate in some cells, but their contents frequently are not released to the exterior until the cell receives a signal. For example, secretory vesicles that contain the hormone insulin do not release it until the concentration of glucose in the blood increases and acts as a signal for the secretion of insulin from the cells.