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Overview
These amoeba-like cells are a type of phagocyte called macrophages. They're scavenger cells that can form tentacles called pseudopods to surround and ingest foreign cells.
Once swallowed, the cells are walled off and destroyed by a bag of digestive enzymes.
Review Date 1/23/2022
Updated by: Stuart I. Henochowicz, MD, FACP, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.