Extra-cellular digestion
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Extra-cellular digestion is a process where saprobionts feed by secreting enzymes through the cell membrane onto the food which is in the digestive system spaces. The enzymes catalyse the food into molecules small enough for them to be phagocytosed. Since digestion is done outside the cell, it is said to be extra-cellular.
Extracellular digestion is a form of digestion found in all saprobiontic annelids, crustaceans, arthropods, lichins and chordates, including vertebrates. It takes place within the lumen of the digestive system, and the resulting nutrient molecules are transferred into the blood or body fluids.
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