Final answer:
Phagocytes, including macrophages and neutrophils, are white blood cells that perform phagocytosis to engulf and digest pathogens as part of the body's innate immune response.
Step-by-step explanation:
The body cell known to perform the process of phagocytosis is a type of white blood cell called a phagocyte. Phagocytes such as macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells play a crucial role in the body's immune system by engulfing and digesting pathogens. When a foreign invader like bacteria penetrates the body's defenses, these phagocytes extend their membrane to form pseudopodia, which surrounds and engulfs the invader into a compartment called a phagosome. The phagosome then fuses with a lysosome, which contains digestive enzymes that break down and destroy the pathogen.
While most pathogens are eliminated through this process, some, such as Mycobacteria tuberculosis, the cause of tuberculosis, can resist these enzymes and are therefore more difficult to clear from the body. Phagocytosis is an essential aspect of the body's innate immune response and plays a key role in the inflammation process.