Protozoa Nutrition and Digestion

Pinocytosis
Mariana Ruiz Villarreal, WikiCommons

• Pinocytosis
  • Droplets of fluid taken into the cell
  • Generates small vesicles
  • Usually used for extracellular fluid ingestion
  • Requires ATP

• Phagocytosis
  • Larger particles of matter taken into the cell
  • Usually solid particles ingested

• Cell membrane envelops the fluid or food taking it into the cell

• Lysosomes fuse with the fluid/food vesicle initiating digestion

• Diffusion through the cell membrane allows excretion of metabolic products