Phagocyte: Difference between revisions

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&nbsp;A phagocyte is the general term for a professional phagocytic cell which is a cell such as a macrophage or neutrophil that is specialised to take up particles and microorganisms by phagocytosis<ref>Hartl, D. &amp; Ruvolo, M. (2011) Genetics: Analysis of genes and genomes, 8th edition, United States: Jones and Bartlett Publishers</ref>.They protect the body by ingesting harmful foreign particles.  
Phagocytes (also called [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Macrophage macrophages]) are [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/White_blood_cell white blood cells] that are responsible for destroying [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Pathogen pathogens] and their [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Toxin toxins]. They are carried in the blood and released following an infection. <br>


== References ==
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<references />
Phagocytes work in a process called [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Phagocytosis phagocytosis]. When in close proximity with a pathogen, phagocytes are attracted and move towards the pathogen by [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Chemoattractant chemoattractants] that it produces. They then bind to the pathogen and engulf it into a [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Phagosome phagosome]. [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Enzyme Enzymes] released by the lysosomes of the phagocytes are able to break down the pathogen into soluble products that can be absorbed into the phagocytes [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Cytoplasm cytoplasm] and waste products that are released to the outside of the cells. <br>
 
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The release of [https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/bms/wiki/index.php/Histamine histamine] can cause a faster delivery of phagocytes to the infection site. <br>
 
== References<br>  ==
 
== Toole, G. and Toole, S. (2008), pp. 102-103[[|]] AQA AS Biology. China: Nelson Thornes Ltd. <br>  
 
==

Revision as of 22:23, 24 November 2014

Phagocytes (also called macrophages) are white blood cells that are responsible for destroying pathogens and their toxins. They are carried in the blood and released following an infection.


Phagocytes work in a process called phagocytosis. When in close proximity with a pathogen, phagocytes are attracted and move towards the pathogen by chemoattractants that it produces. They then bind to the pathogen and engulf it into a phagosome. Enzymes released by the lysosomes of the phagocytes are able to break down the pathogen into soluble products that can be absorbed into the phagocytes cytoplasm and waste products that are released to the outside of the cells.


The release of histamine can cause a faster delivery of phagocytes to the infection site.

References

== Toole, G. and Toole, S. (2008), pp. 102-103[[|]] AQA AS Biology. China: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 

==
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