Ligand-mediated endocytosis is the process of selectively invaginating the membrane on a specific ligand binding to a receptor. On the activation of the receptor, a caveolae forms through the recruitment of caveolin proteins. These proteins bind to the membrane, recruiting additional proteins (cavin, clathrin), furthering the invagination. A spontaneous detachment from the plasma membrane occurs, through the pinching of the caveolae, bringing the vesicle into the cytoplasm and allowing the cell to use the ligand. This process is mediated by membrane rafts, as the activation of the receptor induces the formation of the raft structure. The proteins forming the caveolae (caveolin, cavin, clathrin) are then recruited to the raft, inducing a curvature.