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pinocytosis
[ pin-uh-sahy-toh-sis, pahy-nuh- ]
/ ˌpɪn ə saɪˈtoʊ sɪs, ˌpaɪ nə- /
See the most commonly confused word associated with phagocytosis
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noun Physiology.
the transport of fluid into a cell by means of local infoldings by the cell membrane so that a tiny vesicle or sac forms around each droplet, which is then taken into the interior of the cytoplasm: Some drugs, such as penicillin, are unable to cross biological barriers unless they make use of carrier proteins or are taken across by pinocytosis.
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Origin of pinocytosis
First recorded in 1895–1900; from Greek pín(ein) “to drink” + -o- + -cyte + -osis, on the model of phagocytosis
OTHER WORDS FROM pinocytosis
pin·o·cy·tot·ic [pin-uh-sahy-tot-ik, pahy-nuh-], /ˌpɪn ə saɪˈtɒt ɪk, ˌpaɪ nə-/, adjectiveWords nearby pinocytosis
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023