vesicular

Vesicular is an adjective used in several scientific fields to describe something related to vesicles, small membrane-bound sacs or bubble-like cavities found in cells, tissues, or rocks.

In biology and biochemistry, vesicles are membrane-surrounded compartments that transport and store substances within cells or between cellular compartments. They originate from organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, endosomes, or the plasma membrane. Functions include protein sorting, secretion, endocytosis, and neurotransmitter release via synaptic vesicles. Vesicle trafficking involves coordinated budding, docking, fusion, and recycling, mediated by coat proteins such as COPI, COPII, and clathrin, as well as SNAREs and Rab GTPases that guide vesicles to their targets. Exosomes are a class of extracellular vesicles released from cells into the surrounding environment.

In dermatology, vesicular refers to vesicles—small, fluid-filled elevations of the epidermis typically less than 1 centimeter in diameter. Vesicles arise from infections, contact dermatitis, burns, autoimmune conditions, or drug reactions. When vesicles rupture, they may leave erosions or crusts and can be sites of secondary infection if not protected.

In geology, vesicular texture describes volcanic rocks that contain numerous gas bubbles, or vesicles, formed as magma depressurizes and gases exsolve during eruption or rapid cooling. Common vesicular rocks include vesicular basalt and pumice. The presence and size of vesicles influence properties such as porosity and density. Sometimes vesicles are subsequently filled with secondary minerals, creating an amygdaloidal texture.

Across contexts, vesicular denotes a vesicle-related form or characteristic, though the specifics vary by field.