Transmission electron micrograph of lead citrate stained<unk> . Black bar is 100 nanometers<unk>  (ectosomes, or microparticles) are a type of extracellular vesicle (EV) that are released from the cell membrane. In multicellular organisms,<unk>  and other EVs are found both in tissues (in the interstitial space between cells) and in many types of body fluids. Delimited by a phospholipid bilayer,<unk>  can be as small as the smallest EVs (30 nm in diameter) or as large as 1000 nm. They are considered to be larger, on average, than intracellularly-generated EVs known as exosomes.<unk>  play a role in intercellular communication and can transport molecules such as mRNA, miRNA, and proteins between cells. Though initially dismissed as cellular debris,<unk>  may reflect the antigenic content of the cell of origin and have a role in cell signaling. Like other EVs, they have been implicated in numerous physiologic processes, including anti-tumor effects, tumor immune suppression, metastasis, tumor-stroma interactions, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration.<unk>  may also remove misfolded proteins, cytotoxic agents and metabolic waste from the cell. Changes in<unk> levels may indicate diseases including cancer.
Microvesicles
Caveolae
Myelomere
Dendrosome
Neuromere
Anchoring fibrils
Vesiculo-vacuolar organelle
Polymersome