In biology, caveolae (Latin for little caves) are small invaginations of the plasma membrane in many cell types, especially in endothelial cells. Some cell types, like neurons, completely lack caveolae.
These flask-shaped structures are rich in proteins and lipids and are used for several functions in signal transduction (Anderson, 1998). They are also believed to play a role in endocytosis, oncogenesis , and the uptake of pathogenic bacteria.
The formation and maintenance of caveolae is primarily due to the protein caveolin .