Cytotoxic T cells, also known as CD8+ T cells, are not phagocytic. Their primary role in the immune system is to recognize and kill infected or cancerous cells. Unlike phagocytic cells such as macrophages and neutrophils, which engulf and digest pathogens or debris, cytotoxic T cells do not perform phagocytosis.
Instead, cytotoxic T cells identify target cells through specific interactions. When they encounter a cell presenting a foreign antigen on its surface (typically via Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I molecules), they bind to this cell and release cytotoxic granules. These granules contain perforin and granzymes that collectively induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the infected or abnormal cell.
In summary, while cytotoxic T cells play a critical role in the immune response by killing infected and cancerous cells, they do so through direct cell-mediated killing rather than the engulfing mechanism seen in phagocytes.