Birbeck granules
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ToursExplore Lably’s 3D toursFormation is induced by langerin.
Function
The function of Birbeck granules is debated, but one theory is that they migrate to the periphery of the Langerhans cells and release their contents into the extracellular matrix. Another theory is that the Birbeck granule functions in receptor-mediated endocytosis, similar to clathrin-coated pits.
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History
Birbeck granules were discovered by Michael Stanley Clive Birbeck (1925–2005), a British scientist and electron microscopist who worked at the Chester Beatty Cancer Research Institute or Institute of Cancer Research, London from 1950 until 1981.
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