Final answer:
Dendritic cells have three main types of phagocytic receptors: Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) like Toll-like receptors, complement receptors, and Fc receptors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dendritic cells are a type of professional antigen-presenting cell within the immune system, and they possess three types of phagocytic receptors to carry out this role. The types of receptors among phagocytic cells can vary, but typically include:
- Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) such as Toll-like receptors, which recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs).
- Complement receptors, which bind to complement proteins that have opsonized or marked pathogens for phagocytosis.
- Fc receptors, which recognize pathogens coated with antibodies (a process called opsonization).
These receptors allow dendritic cells to bind to, ingest, and process foreign pathogens, a crucial step in the initiation of the adaptive immune response through antigen presentation to T cells.