Exocytosis
Chapter: 2
The extrusion of granule contents to the exterior of a cell. The event requires fusion of the granule's membrane with that of the cell's plasma membrane. The result is that the contents of the granule are opened to the extracellular space. Leukocytes can concentrate the process of exocytosis onto a surface to which they have become adherent. Damage caused by the contents of the granules is, therefore, concentrated on that surface. The process is referred to as "frustrated phagocytosis". This is the mechanism by which glomerular basement membranes that are either coated with antibody or that contain antigen/antibody complexes are damaged by leukocytes.