Final answer:
The correct answer to the question about the digestion of phagocytized particles is A) Vesicle; lysosome. This process involves a phagosome fusing with a lysosome to breakdown materials using hydrolytic enzymes, an essential part of both cellular maintenance and immune defense.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Phagocytosis and Lysosomal Digestion
Phagocytized particles undergo enzymatic digestion following the fusion of the food vesicle with a lysosome. The correct answer is A) Vesicle; lysosome. Upon the engulfment of a substance, such as a pathogen or a food particle, the phagocyte extends its plasma membrane to envelop the material, creating a vesicle known as a phagosome. This phagosome then fuses with a lysosome, which contains hydrolytic enzymes that are crucial for the breakdown of the ingested material.
In the realm of the endomembrane system, lysosomes are vital participants. They not only digest unneeded cellular components through autophagy but are also essential for the degradation of foreign invaders. This is exemplified by macrophages, a type of white blood cell in the immune system, which phagocytizes bacteria that are subsequently digested within lysosomes.
The process culminates in the release of the digested particles as soluble debris into the extracellular space, via exocytosis. Understanding this process is crucial to comprehending how cells maintain homeostasis by recycling cellular components and defending against pathogens.