Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The engulfing and ingestion of foreign bodies such as bacteria or other cells by phagocytes or certain protists, such as amoebas.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The destruction of microbes by phagocytes.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun immunology, cytology The process where a cell incorporates a particle by extending pseudopodia and drawing the particle into a vacuole of its cytoplasm.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun process in which phagocytes engulf and digest microorganisms and cellular debris; an important defense against infection

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the German Phagocytosis; equivalent to phagocyte +‎ -osis; compare the French phagocytose.

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Examples

  • Thorough analysis of the phenomena of immunization, an analysis based on extremely numerous experiments, has shown that phagocytosis is in truth a defence action on the part of the organism against the agents of disease.

    Ilya Mechnikov - Nobel Lecture 1967

  • Every influence that can trigger off the phagocytosis is naturally brought to bear.

    Ilya Mechnikov - Nobel Lecture 1967

  • In the investigations on the opsonins and bacteriotropins, investigations guided by humoral notions, on the whole only the power of the blood fluid to favour phagocytosis is regarded.

    Ilya Mechnikov - Nobel Lecture 1967

  • But it is generally held that the phagocytosis is an important element in cure effected by the Bier method.

    Ilya Mechnikov - Nobel Lecture 1967

  • In laboratory tests, Dr. Ghoneum exposed cancer cells to yeast and observed as they ingested the yeast-through a process known as phagocytosis-and then the cancer cells died.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • In laboratory tests, Dr. Ghoneum exposed cancer cells to yeast and observed as they ingested the yeast-through a process known as phagocytosis-and then the cancer cells died.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • Uptake of bacteria induces a form of PMN cell death termed phagocytosis-induced cell death (PICD) that is dependent upon ROS production and is important for resolution of infection and inflammation

    PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles Justin L. Spinner et al. 2010

  • In laboratory tests, Dr. Ghoneum exposed cancer cells to yeast and observed as they ingested the yeast-through a process known as phagocytosis-and then the cancer cells died.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • Through a process called phagocytosis, the macrophages digest the damaged tissue and release its components.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed 2010

  • In laboratory tests, Dr. Ghoneum exposed cancer cells to yeast and observed as they ingested the yeast-through a process known as phagocytosis-and then the cancer cells died.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

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