Final answer:
The term for 'the process of cellular eating' is phagocytosis, which involves a cell engulfing and digesting large particles such as other cells or bacteria, often for immune responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that means 'the process of cellular eating' is phagocytosis.
Phagocytosis is a cellular process where large particles are engulfed by a cell. This is essential for tasks such as when neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, fight infections by engulfing and destroying invading microorganisms. The engulfed material is contained within a phagocytic vesicle, which then merges with lysosomes to break down the ingested material.
In contrast to phagocytosis, pinocytosis, also known as cellular drinking, involves the intake of liquid containing dissolved substances. Both phagocytosis and pinocytosis are forms of endocytosis, a larger category that includes various types of cellular intake processes.