food vacuole
Quick Summary
A food vacuole is a membrane-bound compartment within a cell where ingested food is digested. These vacuoles are crucial for heterotrophic organisms, which obtain nutrients from external sources. In protozoans like amoebas and paramecia, food particles are enclosed within food vacuoles, and digestive enzymes are secreted into them to break down the food. The digested nutrients are then absorbed into the cytoplasm, and waste products are expelled from the cell. This process is a form of intracellular digestion, essential for the organism's survival and energy needs.1234
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
protozoanThe protozoan cellProtozoans have transitory food or digestive vacuoles. The number of these membrane-bound cell organelles depends on the feeding habits of the organism. Some species may have many, whereas others may contain only one or two at any one time. In ciliates the food vacuoles form at the base of the…
Read MoreProtozoans have transitory food or digestive vacuoles. The number of these membrane-bound cell organelles depends on the feeding habits of the organism. Some species may have many, whereas others may contain only one or two at any one time. In ciliates the food vacuoles form at the base of the…
Read More- protozoanFood vacuoles
…food material is enclosed in food vacuoles, which are bounded by cell membrane. Digestive enzymes are poured into the newly formed vacuole from the surrounding cytoplasm. In the ciliate Paramecium, where the process has been researched in detail, the digestive vacuoles initially decrease in size and the enclosed particles aggregate.…
Read More…food material is enclosed in food vacuoles, which are bounded by cell membrane. Digestive enzymes are poured into the newly formed vacuole from the surrounding cytoplasm. In the ciliate Paramecium, where the process has been researched in detail, the digestive vacuoles initially decrease in size and the enclosed particles aggregate.…
Read More