| Intracellular | Extracellular digestion |
| Intracellular digestion occurs within food vacuoles in the cell. The food vacuoles fuse with lysosomes, which contain hydrolytic enzymes, allowing digestion to occur safely within the cell. | Extracellular digestion occurs outside cells in compartments that are continuous with the outside. The cells secrete the hydrolytic enzymes necessary for food breakdown. |