Bleb (cell biology)

In cell biology, a bleb is a bulge, or protrusion of the plasma membrane of a cell, human bioparticulate or abscess with an internal environment similar to that of a simple cell, characterized by a spherical, bulky morphology. It is characterized by the decoupling of the cytoskeleton from the plasma membrane, degrading the internal structure of the cell, allowing the flexibility required to allow the cell to separate into individual bulges, or pockets of the intercellular matrix. Most commonly, blebs are seen in apoptosis (programmed cell death), but are also seen in other non-apoptotic functions. Blebbing or zeiosis is the formation of blebs.