All cells have lysosomes, organelles which contain enzymes
used to digest materials that are either created inside or brought into the cell. For
many cells, this is just a way to break down foods, but for macrophages the cell's main
job is to ingest and break down bacteria and other foreign bodies. Because of this, we
have a term specifically for the digestive process of macrophages, in which we find
digestive sacs known as phagolysosomes. A phagolysosome is formed
when a phagosome, which is the membrane-enclosed packet containing the material
ingested, fuses with a lysosome. To see an animation of this process, click on the link
below.
Since macrophages engulf a lot of bacteria and other
particles, they create a lot of phagosomes. Therefore we would expect to see a lot of
lysosomes present inside a macrophage, so that they could join with the phagosomes and
form phagolysosomes. The other link below provides detailed information on the chemical
digestion process that occurs within the phagolysosome.
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