VCAC: Cellular Processes: Regulated Secretion (Golgi): First Look

The following images attempt to illustrate the major events involved in the regulated secretion of insulin from pancreatic beta cells. Clicking on each of the thumbnail images will bring up a larger, labeled version of the described scene.

To see the Flash movie for the following sequence of images, click here.

	Pancreatic beta cells secrete insulin using regulated secretion. Vesicles containing insulin fuse together at the cell surface to form larger secretory vesicles.
	The secretory vesicles dock at the cell surface until a glucose signal enters the cell. This leads to the fusion of the vesicles with the plasma membrane of the cell.
	The exocytosis proecess is completed as the insulin stored in the secretory vesicles is released into near by blood capillaries.

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