Which cells are primarily involved in phagocytosis of pathogens in the skin?

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Multiple Choice

Which cells are primarily involved in phagocytosis of pathogens in the skin?

Phagocytosis in the skin is carried out mainly by macrophages, the tissue-resident phagocytes. In the skin these include dermal macrophages and the epidermal Langerhans cells, which can engulf microbes, digest them, and present their antigens to T cells to help coordinate the immune response. They recognize pathogens, internalize them into phagosomes, fuse with lysosomes, and destroy the invaders, while also signaling to recruit other immune cells. Mast cells, on the other hand, release inflammatory mediators like histamine to promote swelling and immune cell recruitment but don’t perform the primary ingestion of pathogens. Plasma cells produce antibodies, not phagocytosis. Capillaries are blood vessels and do not ingest pathogens.

Phagocytosis in the skin is carried out mainly by macrophages, the tissue-resident phagocytes. In the skin these include dermal macrophages and the epidermal Langerhans cells, which can engulf microbes, digest them, and present their antigens to T cells to help coordinate the immune response. They recognize pathogens, internalize them into phagosomes, fuse with lysosomes, and destroy the invaders, while also signaling to recruit other immune cells.

Mast cells, on the other hand, release inflammatory mediators like histamine to promote swelling and immune cell recruitment but don’t perform the primary ingestion of pathogens. Plasma cells produce antibodies, not phagocytosis. Capillaries are blood vessels and do not ingest pathogens.

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