What are phagocytes and how do they protect the body?

Phagocytes are large irregularly shaped white blood cells that are involved in the non-specific immune system. They have the ability to engulf and digest foreign bodies, destroying them in a process known as phagocytosis. They do this by firstly surrounding a microbe and trapping it in a membrane sac known as the phagosome. This is then fused with the lysosomes, which contains digestive enzymes known as lysozymes that are released into the phagosome, killing the microbes.