Editing Endosome (section)

{{short description|Vacuole to which materials ingested by endocytosis are delivered}}
{{Redirect|Endosoma|Endosomaphilia|Vorarephilia}}
[[File:HeLa cell endocytic pathway labeled for EGFR and transferrin.jpg|thumb|315px|alt=endocytic pathway compartments|Electron micrograph of endosomes in human [[HeLa cell]]s. Early endosomes (E - labeled for EGFR, 5 minutes after internalisation, and transferrin), late endosomes/MVBs (M) and lysosomes (L) are visible. Bar, 500 nm.]]

'''Endosomes''' are a collection of intracellular sorting [[organelles]] in [[eukaryotic]] [[cell (biology)|cells]]. They are parts of the [[Endocytosis|endocytic]] membrane transport pathway originating from the [[trans Golgi network]]. Molecules or ligands internalized from the [[plasma membrane]] can follow this pathway all the way to [[lysosome]]s for degradation or can be recycled back to the [[cell membrane]] in the [[endocytic cycle]]. Molecules are also transported to endosomes from the trans Golgi network and either continue to lysosomes or recycle back to the [[Golgi apparatus]].

Endosomes can be classified as early, sorting, or late depending on their stage post internalization.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Stoorvogel W, Strous GJ, Geuze HJ, Oorschot V, Schwartz AL | title = Late endosomes derive from early endosomes by maturation | journal = Cell | volume = 65 | issue = 3 | pages = 417–27 | date = May 1991 | pmid = 1850321 | doi = 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90459-C | s2cid = 31539542 }}</ref> Endosomes represent a major sorting compartment of the [[endomembrane system]] in cells.<ref name="endo1">{{cite journal | vauthors = Mellman I | title = Endocytosis and molecular sorting | journal = Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology | volume = 12 | pages = 575–625 | year = 1996 | pmid = 8970738 | doi = 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.12.1.575 }}</ref>