An Overview of Endocytosis
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The process involves the invagination of the cellular membrane, which develops into a vesicle containing the ingested material that buds off inside the cell. This active form of transport includes stages of pinocytosis and phagocytosis.
Endocytosis has an opposing process, known as exocytosis, where molecules are actively exported out of the cell. Both of these processes work in harmony to ensure that the same amount of molecules leave the cell as enter it, achieving homeostasis by maintaining an equal flow in and out. This helps the body maintain a balance of incoming nutrients and outgoing waste so that the regular function of the cell can continue.