| Feature | Exosomes | Microparticles (MPs) | Apoptotic cells |
| Size | 40–100 nm | 100–1 000 nm | >4 000 nm |
| Coefficient of sedimentation | ×g | ×g | ×g |
| Methods of isolation | Sucrose gradient (1.13 y 1.19 g/mL) | Sucrose gradient, affinity column, electromagnetic sorting, and filtration | Sucrose gradient, affinity column, electromagnetic sorting, and filtration |
| Membrane of origin | Multivesicular endosomes | Plasma membrane | Plasma membrane |
| Generation | Spontaneous release and cellular activation | Spontaneous release, cellular activation, and apoptosis | Apoptosis |
| Annexin V binding | Low or negative | High, low, or negative | High |
| Functions | Carrying lytic enzymes and activation of phagocytes and B cells | Coagulation, M2 macrophage activation, and transfer of functional cell components | Antigen presentation through MHC II, M2 macrophage and monocyte activation and tissue remodeling |
| Markers | Rab GTPases, annexins, flotillin, Alix, TSG101, and CD63 | Integrins, selectins, proteins from the parental cells, and PS | Histones, PS |
| Organelles | | PMP might contain mitochondrial structures | Different |
| Nucleic acids | No | mRNA, DNA, miRNA, and interfering RNA | DNA, mRNA, and miRNA |
| References | [44, 45] | [22, 30, 46–50] | [51–53] |
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