phagocytosis

American  

[fag-uh-sahy-toh-sis] / ˌfæg ə saɪˈtoʊ sɪs /

noun

1. Physiology.  the ingestion of a smaller cell or cell fragment, a microorganism, or foreign particles by means of the local infolding of a cell's membrane and the protrusion of its cytoplasm around the fold until the material has been surrounded and engulfed by closure of the membrane and formation of a vacuole: characteristic of amebas and some types of white blood cells.

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phagocytosis British  

/ ˌfæɡəsaɪˈtəʊsɪs /

noun

1. the process by which a cell, such as a white blood cell, ingests microorganisms, other cells, and foreign particles

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Etymology

Origin of phagocytosis

First recorded in 1890–95; phagocyte + -osis

Compare meaning

How does phagocytosis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• phagocytosis vs. pinocytosis

Example Sentences

In addition, Yang also found gene-expression changes in microglia, which clean up waste and eat dead cells in a process called phagocytosis.

From Scientific American

The volunteers produced a range of antibodies that bound specifically to different HIV strains, and the researchers saw clear evidence of phagocytosis, in which immune cells surround and digest cells infected with the HIV virus.

From Nature

The cells are engulfed by a process that has molecular characteristics of phagocytosis, an engulfment process that immune cells use.

From Nature

First, they measured phagocytosis of synaptic material in mice genetically engineered to lack CD47.

From Nature

But in another, they clear away debris such as amyloid-β through a process called phagocytosis.

From Nature