verb
- to engulf and digest foreign particles, bacteria, or cellular debris by phagocytosis
Usage: biology; medical
Examples
- White blood cells phagocytize harmful bacteria to protect the body from infection.
- Macrophages phagocytize dead cells and cellular debris during tissue repair.
- The immune system’s ability to phagocytize pathogens is crucial for fighting disease.
- Neutrophils quickly phagocytize invading microorganisms at infection sites.
- Some single-celled organisms phagocytize food particles for nutrition.
- The amoeba can phagocytize smaller organisms by surrounding them with its cell membrane.