Microparticle

**Semantic type:** Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component

**Definition:** A small, membrane-bound vesicle between 100 nm to 1000 nm in size found in the circulatory system. These vesicles are plasma membrane fragments shed from cells. The protein composition is similar to that of the cell that shed the particle.

**Synonyms:** - Cell-Derived Microparticle - Circulating Microparticle - Circulating Microvesicle - Ectosome - Microvesicle