This term seems to be really very surprising and new. I heard it about this process while i was doing my biology practicals this process is called phagocytosis, in this process the cells develop and consume smaller cells or molecules to remove them from the system, but there is nothing to worry about! Phagocytosis isn't harmful, but actually helps preserve your grey matter. This was the amazing facts known till date now i would love to introduce or explain it more further, it would be fun knowing about it!
WHAT EXACTLY THIS TERM ”PHAGOCYTOSIS" REFERS TO?
PHAGOCYTOSIS refers to the process in which some of the living cells called phagocytes engulf other cells, some particles and even pathogens. The phagocyte can be a free-living one-celled organism, such as an amoeba, or one of the body cells, such as a white blood cell. In some forms of animal life, such as amoebas and sponges, phagocytosis is recalled as a means of feeding. The Phagocytosis process occurs when the cell tries to destroy foreign particles or pathogens such as bacteria or an infected cell by engulfing them and lyse them with lytic enzymes. In higher animals/organisms phagocytosis is chiefly a defensive reaction against infection and invasion of the body by foreign substances (antigens).
HOW ABOUT THEIR EARLY OBSERVATIONS?
The presence of foreign particles in thecells was first discovered by Kranid Slavjansky in the year 1860's, then in year 1880's Russian-born zoologist and microbiologist Élie Metchnikoff introduced the term phagocyte in reference to immune cells that engulf and destroy foreign bodies such as bacteria. Metchnikoff, also recognized that phagocytes play an important and major role in the immune response. This discovery made to earned him a share of the 1908 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, and that's a great achievement of him. Seriously saying these kinds of research are really very innovative and helped for boosting up your mind a lot. I mean it really helped me to know about a new term and a famous award.
PARTICLE ADHERENCE-
Before phagocytosis is accomplished, the phagocyte and the particle must adhere to each other, the possibility of which depends largely on the chemical nature of the surface of the particle. In the case of bacteria, if the phagocyte cannot adhere directly, protein components of the blood known as opsonins (e.g., complement and antibodies) form a surface film on bacteria—a process known as opsonization. Phagocytes adhere to the opsonins, and phagocytosis follows.
NOW WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF PHAGOCYTOSIS, I WONDER.?
The particles commonly phagocytosed by white blood cells include bacteria, dead tissue cells, protozoa, various dust particles, pigments, and other minute foreign bodies etc.
In humans and in vertebrates generally, the most-effective phagocytic cells are of two kinds of white blood cells the first one are : the macrophages (large phagocytic cells) and the second most type is the: neutrophils (a type of granulocyte). The macrophages occur especially in the lungs, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes, in which their function is to free the airways, blood, and lymph of bacteria and other particles.
Macrophages also are found in all tissues as wandering amoeboid cells, and the monocyte, a precursor of the macrophage, is found in the blood. The smaller phagocytes are chiefly neutrophils that are carried along by the circulating blood until they reach an area of infected tissue, where they pass through the blood vessel wall and lodge in that tissue.
To be very honest i loved introducing and telling about this new fact of hive. This really boosted my mind a lot and made me feel extremely conscious about the various things of biology. This fact might to new to most of the people i do think that. I too would love to know about your views on this topic more. It was lovely sharing my thoughts over here, will try to share more for new time.
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