When certain white blood cells, such as neutrophils, encounter bacteria in our body, they engulf them, or "eat" them, and bring them inside in a vesicle. This process is called
Added by David A.
Step 1
Let's think step by step. Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Nagamalla Rama Krishna and 80 other Biology educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
White blood cells are an important component of our immune system. One thing they do is consume and destroy bacteria by extending their plasma membrane around the bacterium and bringing it inside the cell in a vesicle. By what process do they engulf the bacterium?
Nagamalla R.
Adi S.
A wandering macrophage encounters a bacterium. Extending outwards from the macrophage, pseudopods are formed to encircle the bacterium. When completely surrounded, the bacterium is brought inside the cell membrane and forms a phagosome. Lysosomes fuse with the phagosome to form a phagolysosome. Enzymes from the lysosomes degrade and digest the bacterium. The phagolysosome now moves back to the cell membrane where it fuses once again. Release of the digested bacterium indicates the excretion of waste products via exocytosis.
Jerelyn N.
Recommended Textbooks
Biology for AP Courses
Objective Biology for NEET
Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry
Transcript
18,000,000+
Students on Numerade
Trusted by students at 8,000+ universities
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD