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Phagocytosis (from Ancient Greek φαγεῖν (phagein) 'to eat' and κύτος (kytos) 'cell') is the process by which a cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle (≥ 0.5 μm), giving rise to an internal compartment called the phagosome. It is one type of endocytosis. A cell that performs phagocytosis is called a phagocyte.
They scan the central nervous system, and establish contacts with neurons, astrocytes and blood vessels. Exhibiting a high degree of motility, they migrate to the lesion site and demonstrate a potent phagocytic capacity for the clearance of debris and the elimination of pathogens. Ramified microglia in a rat cortex before traumatic brain injury.
Phagocytes are usually not bound to any particular organ but move through the body interacting with the other phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells of the immune system. They can communicate with other cells by producing chemicals called cytokines, which recruit other phagocytes to the site of infections or stimulate dormant lymphocytes. [53]
Microglia are a type of glial cell located throughout the brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system (CNS). [1] Microglia account for about 10–15% of cells found within the brain. [2] As the resident macrophage cells, they act as the first and main form of active immune defense in the CNS. [3]
In immunology, the mononuclear phagocyte system or mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) also known as the macrophage system is a part of the immune system that consists of the phagocytic cells [1] located in reticular connective tissue. The cells are primarily monocytes and macrophages, and they accumulate in lymph nodes and the spleen.
Macrophages can be protective in different ways: they can remove dead tumor cells (in a process called phagocytosis) following treatments that kill these cells; they can serve as drug depots for some anticancer drugs; [106] they can also be activated by some therapies to promote antitumor immunity. [107]
Other non-professional phagocytes have some degree of phagocytic activity, such as thyroid and bladder epithelial cells that can engulf erythrocytes and retinal epithelial cells that internalise retinal rods. [8] However non-professional phagocytes do not express specific phagocytic receptors such as FcR and have a much lower rate of ...
In the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord, microglia are the resident innate immune cells that are activated in response to these cues. [2] The CNS is typically an immunologically privileged site because peripheral immune cells are generally blocked by the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a specialized structure ...