Phagocytosis first requires recognition of the target object. For most target micro-organisms, this entails coating with soluble substances - opsonins - which circulate throughout plasma. The opsonin-coated microbe can then adhere to the phagocyte cell surface.
Once adhered, the phagocyte begins to engulf if:
The phagocyte slowly projects pseudopods around the target until the convalesce on the other side. The trapped organism or particle is termed a phagosome. It has a limiting outer membrane that has detached from the phagocyte's lipid bilayer.
Engulfment is usually followed by merging of the phagosome with a lysosome, so triggering phagosomal destruction.
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