The egestion of phagocytized particles by leukocytes

Abstract

Streptococci that were phagocytized by human or mouse leukocytes were usually enclosed in a digestive vacuole. At times the vacuole emptied itself, discharging the cocci to the outside. Whether the egested streptococci then multiplied in the extracellular environment appeared to depend upon how long they had been in the vacuole. The phenomenon of egestion also involves particles other than bacteria, as shown by observation of an erythrocyte that was phagocytized by a human leukocyte and was hemolyzed intracellularly, forming a cell ghost that was then egested.