Microautophagy

Microautophagy is a cellular process where the cell naturally degrades and recycles its own components. During this process, the cell’s membrane directly engulfs small parts of its cytoplasm, including damaged or unnecessary proteins and organelles, forming tiny vesicles. These vesicles then fuse with lysosomes—specialized structures containing enzymes that break down waste—allowing the cell to remove and reuse its internal materials efficiently. Microautophagy helps maintain cellular health, especially during stress or nutrient scarcity, by cleaning up and recycling cellular components at a very fundamental level.