phagocytosis

Term: phagocytosis

Literally meaning: "the eating of cells"

Origin: Anc Greek

φάγος/phagos(=eater) > έφαγον/ephagon(=indefinite tense of verb "εσθίω"/esthio(eat, devour)

+cyte(=combining form meaning “cell” derived from anc Greek word κυτίον/cytion (=box, container)

=-ωσις/-osis(=suffix denoting usually a procces )

Coined/History

In 1882 by Russian zoologist Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov (1845-1916) described the specialized cells that were involved in the defense against microbial infections and  after sharing his findings with Carl Friedrich Claus (Vienna) he named them "phagocytes". Mechnikov, a year later added the term "phagocytosis" concerning all the procces of engulfing  pathogens by these cells.  

Definition

Phagocytosis is the cellular process  which is used by cells  of immune system in order to engulf and indigest solid particles as microorganisms and cellular debris.