What is Phagocytosis?
Phagocytosis is a process which is used by cells to engulf and subsequently ingest particles of nutrients or bacteria. This process is a very important part of cell function, allowing cells to grab vital nutrients and allowing the body to protect itself from harmful bacteria. A cell which specializes in phagocytosis is known as a phagocyte. This process is one among a family of processes collectively referred to under the blanket term “endocytosis,” which refers to any sort of ingestion of material by a cell. The opposite, of course, is exocytosis, the expulsion of unwanted material from a cell. The process of phagocytosis is quite fascinating to watch under a microscope, and a number of scientific websites have videos of phagocytosis in action, for those who wish to see it. Essentially, a cell deforms its membrane to form a little cone around the piece of material which is to be absorbed, and then it closes the sides of the cone, hugging the particle in the cell membrane to create wha
