The key difference between endocytosis and receptor mediated endocytosis is that endocytosis is a cellular mechanism by which cells take in substances inside the cell by forming vesicles. Meanwhile, receptor-mediated endocytosis is a form of endocytosis in which receptors located on the cell surface are used to capture specific target molecules such as metabolites, hormones, proteins, etc.
Endocytosis is a cellular process which helps to take in substances into the living cell by invagination of its membrane to form a vesicle. Phagocytosis, receptor-mediated endocytosis, and pinocytosis are three forms of endocytosis. Pinocytosis is the ingestion of liquid into cells by budding of small vesicles from the cell membrane. Receptor-mediated endocytosis is a process which absorbs specific molecules and viruses inside the cell, recognizing the molecules by receptors located in the cell membrane and then by forming small vesicles from the cell membrane. Phagocytosis ingests large solid matters, such as cell debris, pathogens such as bacteria, dead cells, dust particles, small mineral particles, etc., into the cell by forming phagosomes.
