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Phagocytosis

Definition

noun

The process of engulfing and ingestion of particles by the cell or a phagocyte (e.g. macrophage) to form a phagosome (or food vacuole), which in turn fuse with lysosome and become phagolysosome where the engulfed material is eventually digested or degraded and either released extracellularly via exocytosis, or released intracellularly to undergo further processing.


Supplement

Phagocytosis is the mechanism used by many protists (e.g. amoeba) to acquire nutrients. In humans and other multicellular animals, phagocytosis is an important defense mechanism against infection by microorganisms (e.g. bacteria) and the process of removing cell debris (e.g. dead tissue cells) and other foreign bodies.

Steps of a macrophage ingesting a pathogen:
a. Ingestion through phagocytosis, a phagosome is formed
b. The fusion of lysosomes with the phagosome creates a phagolysosome; the pathogen is broken down by enzymes
c. Waste material is expelled or assimilated.


Word origin: phago: G, comb. form akin to phageǐn to eat, devour + cyte: G. kutos, hollow vessel + -osis: expressing state or condition.
Related forms: phagocyte (noun), phagocytic (adjective) – as in “a phagocytotic cell”, phagocytose (verb) -- as in “to phagocytose particles”.

Compare: pinocytosis.
See also: endocytosis, plasma membrane.


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plasma membrane replentishing Question

... with the vesicle membrane. Therefore the cell is actually getting 'larger' and doesn't need more replacing. macrophage: these cells engage in phagocytosis, therefore because they are continually engulfing things from the extracellular space, they would need to replace their membrane otherwise ...

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by NewtoBiology
Wed Jul 22, 2009 10:07 pm
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: plasma membrane replentishing Question
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Views: 122

Secondary level question-lymphocyte vs phagocyte

... and phagocyte, as the textbook mention very little about it. Sorry for asking such simple question here... I know that phagocyte is for the phagocytosis. But i dunno what lymphocyte responsible for except turning to a memory cell after the primary respond. In conclusion, What is the relationship ...

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by lsc04361
Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:49 am
 
Forum: Human Biology
Topic: Secondary level question-lymphocyte vs phagocyte
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Views: 404

Re: how does innate immunity link to b-cell and t-cell responses

... don't get how it links to b and t cell responses. plz help Firstly Defence mechanisms are split in 2: 1. Innate (non specific) Defence mechanisms (Phagocytosis, fever, inflammation, natural killer cells, complement proteins) 2. Adaptive (specific) Defence mechanisms also known as IMMUNITY. So immunity ...

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by favorina
Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:55 pm
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: how does innate immunity link to b-cell and t-cell responses
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Views: 818

Cell Membranes

... are an exception - they cannot pass through the cell membrane, simply because they are too big. Generally macromolecules pass through enocytosis/phagocytosis/exocytosis. This does not involve lysosomes (with a single exception that I know of - lysosomes are involved in exocytosis that occurs ...

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by MrMistery
Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:27 am
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: Cell Membranes
Replies: 6
Views: 1072

Re: white blood cell

... endocrine" --> some cells secrete chemical agents to kill pathogens, while another cells doesn't secrete anything to kill pathogens but do phagocytosis :wink: Another thing... maybe someone is interested... There's a special cell, very well-known, called Dendritic Cell (DC). When it is ...

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by DoctorStein
Fri May 30, 2008 10:13 am
 
Forum: Human Biology
Topic: white blood cell
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Views: 2234
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