For cells, some shapes are easier to swallow than others
Wednesday, May 18, 2016 - 07:31
in Biology & Nature
Scientists have probed the process that allows cells to swallow up particles, finding that some shapes are easier to swallow than others. Cells take in small particles and other objects such as bacteria in a process called engulfment. Single-celled organisms use engulfment to take in food, while in humans it forms the first line of immune system defence, as white blood cells engulf harmful bacteria and other foreign bodies.