What type of white blood cells engulf and digest foreign cells?

Phagocytes are a type of white blood cell specifically designed to engulf and digest foreign cells and pathogens. This process is known as phagocytosis, where the phagocyte surrounds and internalizes the foreign material, allowing enzymes within the phagocyte to break it down and destroy it.

Phagocytes play a crucial role in the immune system, acting as the body's first line of defense against infections. They are particularly important for responding to bacterial infections and other threats, as they can quickly move to the site of inflammation or infection to eliminate harmful invaders.

While other types of white blood cells, such as lymphocytes and neutrophils, also contribute to the immune response, they have different specific functions. Lymphocytes are primarily involved in the adaptive immune response, recognizing specific pathogens and creating antibodies, whereas neutrophils also perform phagocytosis but are generally considered a type of phagocyte. Eosinophils mainly respond to parasitic infections and play a role in allergic reactions, rather than directly engulfing and digesting cells like phagocytes.