Question

Once solid material is phagocytized and taken into a vacuole, which of the following statements best describes what happens?

A) A ribosome enters the vacuole and uses the amino acids in the "invader" to form new protein.
B) A lysosome combines with the vacuole and digests the enclosed solid material.
C) The vacuole remains separated from the cytoplasm and the solid material persists unchanged.
D) The phagocytized material is stored until further breakdown can occur..

Answer 1

After phagocytosis, a lysosome fuses with the vacuole to digest the material, followed by the excretion of debris through exocytosis. Option B is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Once solid material is phagocytized and taken into a vacuole, the best description of what happens next is that a lysosome combines with the vacuole and digests the enclosed solid material. This process occurs when a pathogen such as a bacterium is engulfed by a cell through its plasma membrane, forming a vesicle known as a phagosome. The phagosome then fuses with a lysosome, creating a phagolysosome where digestive enzymes and acids from the lysosome break down the pathogen. Eventually, the soluble debris from the destroyed pathogen is excreted from the cell through exocytosis.