Which of the following best describes the role of phagocytes in innate immunity?

• A. They store nutrients.
• B. They engulf and destroy pathogens as part of non-specific defense.
• C. They produce antibodies to target pathogens.
• D. They form memory cells during inflammation.

Answer: (B)

Phagocytes are frontline cells of innate immunity that perform phagocytosis to clear invaders without needing prior exposure. They recognize general features of pathogens, engulf them into a phagosome, and then fuse with lysosomes to form a phagolysosome where enzymes and reactive molecules digest the pathogen. This is non-specific defense, meaning it targets a wide range of microbes rather than a particular one. That’s why the description of engulfing and destroying pathogens as part of non-specific defense is the best fit. Other options describe functions of the adaptive immune system—storing nutrients is not a phagocyte role; producing antibodies and forming memory cells occur with B and T cells, not phagocytes.