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Related Concept Videos

Phagocytosis00:41

Phagocytosis

Cells pull particles inward and engulf them in spherical vesicles in an energy-requiring process called endocytosis. Phagocytosis ("cellular eating") is one of three major types of endocytosis. Cells use phagocytosis to take in large objects, such as other cells (or their debris), bacteria, and even viruses.
The objective of phagocytosis is often destruction. Cells use phagocytosis to eliminate unwelcome visitors, like pathogens (e.g., viruses and bacteria). Many immune system cells, including...
Phagocytosis00:41

Phagocytosis

Cells pull particles inward and engulf them in spherical vesicles in an energy-requiring process called endocytosis. Phagocytosis (“cellular eating”) is one of three major types of endocytosis. Cells use phagocytosis to take in large objects—such as other cells (or their debris), bacteria, and even viruses.
Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...
Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells01:17

Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells

Cells undergoing apoptosis form apoptotic bodies that must be removed immediately to prevent inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and necrosis. Phagocytosis is carried out by professional phagocytes such as macrophages or  immature dendritic cells. Non-professional phagocytes such as  epithelial cells and fibroblasts also take part in this process; however, they are not as effective as professional phagocytes. 
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized by phagocytes.
Endocytosis01:16

Endocytosis

Eukaryotic cells acquire nutrients for growth and proliferation. Nutrients and other molecules that require degradation are internalized from the extracellular space by a process called endocytosis. The term ‘endocytosis' was first coined by Christian de Duve in 1963.
Endocytosis always begins with the plasma membrane enclosing an incoming molecule to form a transport vesicle which, in some cases, can be coated with a protein called ‘clathrin.' Endocytosed material is either sorted through...
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome01:36

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Visualizing the Early Stages of Phagocytosis
08:04

Visualizing the Early Stages of Phagocytosis

Published on: February 3, 2017

Information processing during phagocytosis.

David M Underhill1, Helen S Goodridge

  • 1Inflammatory Bowel & Immunobiology Research Institute, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8,700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90048, USA. David.Underhill@csmc.edu

Nature Reviews. Immunology
|June 16, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Phagocytosis, a key innate immunity process, informs myeloid phagocytes about engulfed targets. This information helps tailor inflammatory responses and coordinate immune actions.

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Exploring the Sequential Cellular Events of Phagocytosis Triggered by Godanti Bhasma in Mammalian Cells
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Exploring the Sequential Cellular Events of Phagocytosis Triggered by Godanti Bhasma in Mammalian Cells
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Exploring the Sequential Cellular Events of Phagocytosis Triggered by Godanti Bhasma in Mammalian Cells

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Phagocytosis is a critical innate immune mechanism utilized by myeloid cells like macrophages and dendritic cells to internalize targets.
  • While the mechanics of target binding and engulfment are well-understood, emerging research highlights the signaling role of the phagocytic process itself.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how phagocytes acquire information about engulfed targets during the phagocytosis process.
  • To discuss the mechanisms by which this information is processed to modulate immune responses.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature on phagocytosis and immune signaling.
  • Analysis of molecular and cellular pathways involved in information acquisition during phagocytosis.

Main Results:

  • Phagocytosis provides crucial information to myeloid phagocytes regarding the nature of internalized targets.
  • This acquired information actively shapes and tailors subsequent inflammatory and immune responses.

Conclusions:

  • The process of phagocytosis is not merely engulfment but a sophisticated signaling event.
  • Understanding how phagocytes interpret signals during phagocytosis is key to coordinating effective immune responses.