vesicle

American  

[ves-i-kuhl] / ˈvɛs ɪ kəl /

noun

1. a small sac or cyst.

2. Biology. a small bladderlike cavity, especially one filled with fluid.

3. Pathology. a circumscribed elevation of the epidermis containing serous fluid; blister.

4. Geology. a small, usually spherical cavity in a rock or mineral, formed by expansion of a gas or vapor before the enclosing body solidified.

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vesicle British  

/ vɛˈsɪkjʊlə, ˈvɛsɪkəl /

noun

1. pathol

   1. any small sac or cavity, esp one containing serous fluid

   2. a blister

2. geology a rounded cavity within a rock formed during solidification by expansion of the gases present in the magma

3. botany a small bladder-like cavity occurring in certain seaweeds and aquatic plants

4. any small cavity or cell

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vesicle Scientific  

/ vĕs′ĭ-kəl /

1. A small fluid-filled sac in the body.

2. A membrane-bound sac in eukaryotic cells that stores or transports the products of metabolism in the cell and is sometimes the site for the breaking down of metabolic wastes. Vesicles bulge out and break off from the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. Vesicles get their energy for mobility from ATP. Lysosomes and peroxisomes are vesicles.

3. A small cavity formed in volcanic rock by entrapment of a gas bubble during solidification.

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Other Word Forms

• vesicular adjective
• vesicularly adverb

Etymology

Origin of vesicle

First recorded in 1570–80, vesicle is from the Latin word vēsīcula little bladder. See vesica, -ule

Example Sentences

As the pocket expands, it wraps around the virus and forms a vesicle.

From Science Daily

The researchers also documented how the cells retrieved and recycled vesicles afterward, a process known as endocytosis.

From Science Daily

In autophagy, damaged or unnecessary proteins are enclosed in small membrane-bound vesicles and then broken down safely by enzymes, effectively recycling cellular components.

From Science Daily

The team proposes several possibilities: the cells could release antiaging proteins or tiny extracellular vesicles capable of entering the brain, or they might remove pro-aging factors from the bloodstream, protecting the brain from harmful effects.

From Science Daily

For example, the cell walls of plants provide structural strength and are rich in fiber, while their energy vesicles store carbohydrates.

From Salon