Site examples of cells/organs that utilize the different transport mechanisms (one

example for each transport mechanism) and explain the process and its importance

1. Endocytosis:

A. Phagocytosis

One example of cell that uses the transport Phagocytosis is the macrophage.
Macrophage is a large white blood cell in which it helps locate and fight foreign anti
bodies and is part of our immune system.

The process that macrophage undergoes in this transport mechanism is that, once that the
macrophage detects a foreign antibody or virus, it will start to surround and engulf it into
the cell, Instead of moving the large item across the plasma membrane, which might
damage the membrane permanently, it uses the cytoplasm or the pseudopods so that the
virus will be surrounded by the particle and enclose it in a membrane, and this is under
the phagocytoses transport mechanism. This process on macrophage is important as it
serves as scavenger as it get rids antibodies that are foreign and a very important in
immune response of the body.

B. Pinocytosis

Through pinocytosis, the cells in the kidney and intestine such as microvilli absorb the
nutrients coming from the food through separating the nutrients and fluids, where the
droplets or the fluids are absorbed on the cell membrane then forms a pocket and
pinching off little vesicles filled with fluid in the cytoplasm or getting rid of the urine
from the body.

The importance of the microvilli in this transport mechanism is that it increases the
amount of nutrients that it can absorb, it also widen the lining area in the intestine thus
has a huge role in absorption of both food and water molecules as well as it drags out
fluids that are not essential inside the body from the kidney, through urine.
C. Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

Drug delivery to the brain is hindered by the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
Although the BBB restricts the passage of many substances, it is actually selectively
permeable to nutrients necessary for healthy brain function. To accomplish the task of
nutrient transport, the brain endothelium is endowed with a diverse collection of
molecular transport systems. One such class of transport system, known as a receptor-
mediated transcytosis (RMT), employs the vesicular trafficking machinery of the
endothelium to transport substrates between blood and brain. If appropriately targeted,
RMT systems can also be used to shuttle a wide range of therapeutics into the brain in a
noninvasive manner (Jones &  Shusta, 2007)

The importance of blood brain barrier is that it controls the passage of substances such as
water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and general anesthetics, pass into the brain, or move
from blood to the tissues of the central nervous system.

2. Exocytosis

In the pancreas, small clusters of cells called islets of Langerhans produce the hormones
insulin and glucagon. These hormones are stored in secretory granules and released
by exocytosis when signals are received. The pancreas releases glucagon by exocytosis
when blood glucose levels fall too low. Glucagon causes the liver to convert stored
glycogen into glucose, which is released into the bloodstream.

Pancreas is important as it makes pancreatic juices or enzymes which will breakdown

sugars, fats, and starches. It also helps digestive system by making hormones and these
are the chemical messenger that travel through blood.