Killing and Degradation

The ultimate step of bacterial phagocytosis in the elimination of infectious agents and necrotic cells is their killing and degradation within neutrophils and macrophages, which occur most efficiently after activation of the phagocytes.

Microbial killing is accomplished largely by oxygen-dependent mechanisms. Phagocytosis stimulates a burst in oxygen consumption, glycogenolysis, increased glucose oxidation via the hexose-monophosphate shunt, and production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROS, also called reactive oxygen species).

See also

 viral killing
 bacterial killing
 parasitic killing