Describing an organism or cell that feeds on or consumes other cells, especially certain parasites or immune cells that eat bacteria.
From Greek 'cyto-' (cell) + 'phagos' (eating/devouring). The '-ous' suffix indicates a quality or characteristic. Terminology from microbiology developed in the 1900s.
White blood cells are cytophagous—they actively hunt down and 'eat' invading bacteria and viruses, making them microscopic warriors in your immune system.
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