Cellular encapsulation
- Pronunciation
- /sel-yoo-lar en-kap-suh-LAY-shun/
- Category
- Immune Response
- Plural
- Cellular encapsulations
Definition
A process in arthropods where a foreign object too large to be phagocytosed is surrounded by one or more layers of hemocytes.
Etymology
From Latin 'cellula', meaning 'small room', and 'encapsulation' from Greek 'en-', meaning 'within', and Latin 'capsa', meaning 'box' or 'container'.
Example
Cellular encapsulation is triggered when a foreign object, such as a parasitoid egg, enters the insect host.