phagocytosis

Phagocytosis involves the sporadic engulfment of large extracellular particles by wrapping cytoskeletally supported pseudopodia around the particle and internalizing it into vacuoles called phagosomes. The phagosome then fuses with a lysosome, and the phagocytosed particle is digested in an oxidative burst by lysosomal enzymes. The hydrolyzed products are absorbed into the cytoplasm through the vacuolar wall, and the waste products are excreted from the cell. image_Paramecium feeding on hematococcus : animation - phagocytosis : animated diagram - phagocytosis of bacterium : time-lapse movie - phagocytosis : animation - exocytosis

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