What is it called when cells take in food particles through active transport?

Q: When cells take in food particles through active transport we call it as phagocytosis?

One type is called phagocytosis (cellular eating”), which involves the ingestion of large particles, such as microorganisms or dead cells via large vesicles called phagosomes (generally >250 nm in diameter).

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Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Vesicle Transport
Endocytosis and Exocytosis
Explore More
What does it called when the cells take food particles through active transport?
What is the term for a cell taking in food to eat?
When cells take in food particles through active transport we call it as phagocytosis?
How is food absorbed by active transport?

What does a cell "eat"?

Is it possible for objects larger than a small molecule to be engulfed by a cell? Of course it is. This image depicts a cancer cell being attacked by a cell of the immune system. Cells of the immune system consistently destroy pathogens by essentially "eating" them.

Vesicle Transport

Some molecules or particles are just too large to pass through the plasma membrane or to move through a transport protein. So cells use two other active transport processes to move these macromolecules (large molecules) into or out of the cell. Vesicles or other bodies in the cytoplasm move macromolecules or large particles across the plasma membrane. There are two types of vesicle transport, endocytosis and exocytosis (illustrated in Figure ). Both processes are active transport processes, requiring energy.

Illustration of the two types of vesicle transport, exocytosis and endocytosis.

Endocytosis and Exocytosis

Endocytosis is the process of capturing a substance or particle from outside the cell by engulfing it with the cell membrane. The membrane folds over the substance and it becomes completely enclosed by the membrane. At this point a membrane-bound sac, or vesicle, pinches off and moves the substance into the cytosol. There are two main kinds of endocytosis:

Phagocytosis, or cellular eating, occurs when the dissolved materials enter the cell. The plasma membrane engulfs the solid material, forming a phagocytic vesicle.
Pinocytosis, or cellular drinking, occurs when the plasma membrane folds inward to form a channel allowing dissolved substances to enter the cell, as shown in Figure . When the channel is closed, the liquid is encircled within a pinocytic vesicle.

Transmission electron microscope image of brain tissue that shows pinocytotic vesicles. Pinocytosis is a type of endocytosis.

Exocytosis describes the process of vesicles fusing with the plasma membrane and releasing their contents to the outside of the cell, as shown in Figure . Exocytosis occurs when a cell produces substances for export, such as a protein, or when the cell is getting rid of a waste product or a toxin. Newly made membrane proteins and membrane lipids are moved on top the plasma membrane by exocytosis. For a detailed animation of cellular secretion, see http://vcell.ndsu.edu/animations/constitutivesecretion/first.htm.

Illustration of an axon releasing dopamine by exocytosis.

Summary

Active transport is the energy-requiring process of pumping molecules and ions across membranes against a concentration gradient.
Endocytosis is the process of capturing a substance or particle from outside the cell by engulfing it with the cell membrane, and bringing it into the cell.
Exocytosis describes the process of vesicles fusing with the plasma membrane and releasing their contents to the outside of the cell.
Both endocytosis and exocytosis are active transport processes.

Explore More

Use this resource to answer the questions that follow.

Exocytosis and Endocytosis athttp://www.wyzant.com/resources/lessons/science/biology/endocytosis-and-exocytosis.

What is bulk transport?
Describe how exocytosis occurs?
What are the types of endocytosis?
Some types of endocytosis are non-specific processes. What does this mean?
Describe the process of receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Review

What is the difference between endocytosis and exocytosis?
Why is pinocytosis a form of endocytosis?
Are vesicles involved in passive transport? Explain.

This page titled 2.17: Exocytosis and Endocytosis is shared under a CK-12 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by CK-12 Foundation via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

What does it called when the cells take food particles through active transport?

Endocytosis (endo = internal, cytosis = transport mechanism) is a general term for the various types of active transport that move particles into a cell by enclosing them in a vesicle made out of plasma membrane. There are variations of endocytosis, but all follow the same basic process.

What is the term for a cell taking in food to eat?

We need to eat and drink to survive, and so do our cells. Using a process called endocytosis, cells ingest nutrients, fluids, proteins and other molecules.

When cells take in food particles through active transport we call it as phagocytosis?

One type is called phagocytosis (“cellular eating”), which involves the ingestion of large particles, such as microorganisms or dead cells via large vesicles called phagosomes (generally >250 nm in diameter).

How is food absorbed by active transport?

In active transport, particles move against the concentration gradient and therefore require an input of energy from the cell. During digestion, the villi in the small intestine absorb the soluble nutrients. Over time, the concentration of nutrients in the villi reach an equilibrium with the concentration in the gut.