Endocytotic Vacuoles in Digestion

Abstract

Heterotrophic protozoa collect or capture their food in a variety of ways, involving versions of phagocytosis, pinocytosis and membranemediated events. This aspect has been considered in some detail in the previous chapter. By whatever means food material enters the organism, much of it will be located initially within an endocytotic vacuole, alternatively referred to as a food vacuole or a secondary lysosome. In fact the whole process of digestion is centred round the endocytotic vacuole, which is produced by being pinched off from the base of the cytopharynx, the vestibule, the suctorial tentacle or other site used for food intake.