endosome

noun

en·​do·​some ˈen-də-ˌsōm How to pronounce endosome (audio)
: a vesicle formed by the invagination and pinching off of the cell membrane during endocytosis

Examples of endosome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Because the virus that causes COVID-19 (gold) and other RNA viruses enter cells through endosomes, mRNA drug impurities can elicit similar immune responses. Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024 Therapeutic mRNAs enter cells using endosomes – sacs made of the cell’s membrane that take in materials from the cell’s environment. Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024 In response, the cell membrane folds around the virus, wrapping it in a pocket called an endosome. K. N. Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2015 The endosome then opens up to allow the virus into the cell. K. N. Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2015 Researchers think that these drugs prevent the viral envelope from fusing with the endosome, which means that the virus can’t release its RNA into the cell. K. N. Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2015 Once a bad actor is absorbed, these cells have what can best be described as a cellular garbage disposal, called an endosome, that normally shuts the infectious agent down. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 6 Apr. 2022 Then it is engulfed in a hollow bubble called an endosome. Megan Scudellari, Scientific American, 11 Feb. 2022 Although there may be some merit to the argument, recall that SARS-CoV, the virus responsible for the SARS epidemic, also enters cells via the endosome, not by fusion. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'endosome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of endosome was in 1887

Dictionary Entries Near endosome

Cite this Entry

“Endosome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endosome. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

endosome

noun
en·​do·​some ˈen-də-ˌsōm How to pronounce endosome (audio)
1
: a conspicuous body other than a chromatin granule that occurs within the nuclear membrane of a vesicular protozoan nucleus and is either a karyosome or a nucleolus
2
: a vesicle formed by the invagination and pinching off of the cell membrane during endocytosis

More from Merriam-Webster on endosome

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