Final answer:
The incorrect statement about phagocytosis is that it is mediated by clathrin, which is actually involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis, not phagocytosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The false statement regarding phagocytosis is that it is mediated by clathrin at the plasma membrane. While clathrin does play a role in endocytosis, specifically receptor-mediated endocytosis, it is not involved in phagocytosis. In phagocytosis, pseudopods are projected to surround and engulf large particles, such as bacteria, which are then ingested by cells like macrophages, neutrophils, and amoebae. These particles are enclosed in a vesicle known as a phagosome which eventually fuses with a lysosome where hydrolytic enzymes digest the contents.
Phagocytosis is an active transport method that requires ATP to facilitate the engulfment and digestion of the particles, contrasting from receptor-mediated endocytosis wherein clathrin stabilizes the plasma membrane as it forms coated pits to internalize specific molecules bound to receptors.