Particle Engulfment
Particle Engulfment - Related Videos
07:38
An Engulfment Assay: A Protocol to Assess Interactions Between CNS Phagocytes and Neurons
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Cited by 111 •
2014
Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS) with a high capacity to phagocytose or engulf material in their extracellular environment. Here, a broadly applicable, reliable, and highly quantitative assay for visualizing and measuring microglia-mediated engulfment of synaptic components is described.
04:48
The Phagocytosis Assay: An Immunostaining Technique to Visualize Apoptotic Cell Engulfment in the Embryonic Cells of Drosophila melanogaster
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2025
This video demonstrates an immunostaining technique to visualize apoptotic cell engulfment in the homogenized embryonic cells of Drosophila melanogaster. This method provides insights into cellular physiology by determining the extent of apoptotic cell engulfment.
06:47
Experimental Analysis of Apoptotic Thymocyte Engulfment by Macrophages
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Cited by 9 •
2019
Here, we present a protocol to prepare apoptotic thymocytes and peritoneal macrophages and analyze the efficiency of efferocytosis and the specific inhibitor-mediated blocking of apoptotic thymocytes engulfment. This protocol has a broad application in cell-mediated clearance of other particles including artificial beads and bacteria.
03:37
Subatomic Particles
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2020
Dalton was only partially correct about the particles that make up matter. All matter is composed of atoms, and atoms are composed of three smaller subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. These three particles account for the mass and the charge of an atom. The Discovery of the Electron The first clue about the subatomic structure came at the end of the 19th century when J.J. Thomson discovered the electron using a cathode ray tube. This apparatus consisted of a sealed glass...
07:41
Quantification of Microglial Engulfment of Synaptic Material Using Flow Cytometry
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Cited by 1 •
2024
Here we present two protocols to quantify microglial engulfment of vGLUT1-positive synapses and pHRodo Red-labeled crude synaptosomes using flow cytometry.
FAQs
Actin cytoskeleton rearrangement produces membrane extensions that move around a solid target. These extensions progressively enclose the material until their edges meet and create a sealed phagosome. The cytoskeleton therefore provides the structural force for membrane movement and closure, linking internal cellular organization to the successful uptake of particulate material.
Once sealed, the phagosome can fuse with lysosomes, compartments containing enzymes that digest cellular material. This fusion changes the internalized particle from an enclosed object into material exposed to enzymatic processing. The sequence is important for nutrient acquisition, waste removal, and defense because uptake alone does not provide the same processing outcome as lysosomal digestion.
The same general cellular process supports different biological purposes in these contexts. Macrophages and neutrophils use particle uptake as part of defense against foreign material, whereas single-celled organisms can use it to obtain nutrients from particulate matter. Comparing these settings shows how one mechanism can serve both organismal protection and basic cellular feeding.
Macrophages and neutrophils are specialized immune cells in which particle uptake is directly connected to host defense. Their activity provides a biological context for examining how foreign particles are enclosed, processed after phagosome formation, and linked to innate immunity. These cells are especially relevant when the research question concerns host-pathogen interactions or cellular clearance.
A useful analysis follows the sequence from actin-driven membrane extensions to target enclosure, phagosome sealing, and possible lysosomal fusion. Each stage represents a distinct outcome: movement around the particle, internalization, compartment formation, or enzymatic processing. Tracking these transitions helps distinguish incomplete uptake from successful digestion and clarifies where a cellular response occurs.
Studying particle uptake helps researchers understand how engineered particles are taken up in biological systems. The relevant questions include whether cells surround and internalize the material, whether a sealed phagosome forms, and whether lysosomal fusion follows. These outcomes connect particle design or exposure to cellular clearance, while also placing engineered-particle studies within broader cell biology.