What term describes the fusion of vesicles with the membrane to export material out of a cell?

Exocytosis is the correct term for the process whereby vesicles containing substances fuse with the plasma membrane of a cell to release their contents into the extracellular space. This mechanism is crucial for various cellular functions, including the secretion of hormones, neurotransmitters, and enzymes. During exocytosis, the membrane of the vesicle merges with the cell membrane, allowing the material inside the vesicle to be expelled outside the cell.

Understanding this process is essential as it plays a vital role in cellular communication and homeostasis. While secretion can refer broadly to the release of substances, exocytosis specifically describes the membrane fusion event that facilitates this process. Endocytosis, on the other hand, describes the uptake of materials into the cell, which is the opposite of what exocytosis achieves. Transcytosis refers to the transport of material across the interior of a cell, which involves both endocytosis and exocytosis but does not specifically refer to the direct export of materials out of a cell.