Phagocytosis is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that serves as the first line of host defense in multicellular organisms. The traditional definition of phagocytosis involves the engulfment and degradation of large solid particles (>0.5 ?m), initiated by receptor activation on phagocytes. It forms an essential aspect of innate immunity through the uptake and destruction of infectious pathogens, while also participating in the removal of apoptotic cells during tissue remodeling and development. Professional phagocytes, such as macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, are well...