Question

How do phagocytosis and endocytosis relate to each other?

Answer 1

Hint: Phagocytosis and endocytosis are processes involved in the transport of materials like the cell and parts of the cell into other cells. One term is related only to the transport of material while the other is involved in clearing pathogens.

Complete answer:
- Endocytosis is an active transport that moves particles of matter into the cell. Phagocytosis is the process where large particles, such as cells or relatively large particles, are taken in by the cell.
- Endocytosis and phagocytosis are processes that are involved in taking in the material of the cell. Phagocytosis (cell eating) is a type of endocytosis.
- These processes take place in a similar way - the plasma membrane of the cell invaginates, forming a pocket around the target particle. The pocket pinches off which results in the particle being contained in a newly-formed intracellular vesicle formed from the plasma membrane.
- The material taken into the cell includes hormones, enzymes, nutrients, ions, cell debris, and pathogens.

Additional information:
- Endocytosis is divided into three categories - phagocytosis, pinocytosis, and receptor-mediated endocytosis.
- A common example of phagocytosis is when a neutrophil engulfs foreign pathogens and then digests them internally.
- Phagosome is a vesicle formed when the foreign body is engulfed by the cell during phagocytosis.

Note:
- Examples of phagocytic cells are white blood cells like neutrophils and monocytes, tissue macrophages, Langerhans cells in the skin, Kupffer cells in the liver, etc.
- Phagocytosis is also carried out by microorganisms like amoeba to undertake nutrients.
- Pinocytosis is another form of endocytosis which means ‘cell drinking’ and is a process that takes in molecules, including water, which the cell needs from the extracellular fluid. The vesicles formed are smaller than those formed in phagocytosis.