Phagocytosis is a widespread and evolutionarily conserved process with diverse biological functions, ranging from engulfment of invading microbes during infection to clearance of apoptotic debris in tissue homeostasis. Along with differences in biochemical composition, phagocytic targets greatly differ in physical attributes, such as size, shape, and rigidity, which are now recognized as important regulators of this process. Force exertion at the cell–target interface and cellular mechanical changes during phagocytosis are emerging as crucial factors underlying sensing of such target properties. With technological developments, mechanical aspects of phagocytosis are increasingly accessible experimentally, revealing remarkable organizational complexity of force exertion. An increasingly high-resolution picture is emerging of how target physical cues and cellular mechanical properties jointly govern important steps throughout phagocytic engulfment.

吞噬作用是一种广泛且进化上保守的过程，具有多种生物学功能，范围从感染过程中的入侵微生物吞噬到组织稳态中凋亡碎片的清除。除了生化成分的差异外，吞噬靶标的物理属性（例如大小，形状和刚度）也大大不同，这些属性现在被认为是该过程的重要调节剂。在吞噬作用期间，作用于细胞-靶标界面的力和细胞机械变化正逐渐成为感知此类靶标特性的关键因素。随着技术的发展，吞噬作用的机械方面越来越多地通过实验获得，从而揭示了力施加的显着组织复杂性。