YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM: T-CELLS AND B-CELLS
Cell eaters are born knowing what to do, so they can rush right into battle. Other white blood cells, called lymphocytes, hold back, studying the antigen, preparing themselves to join the battle. Why the two approaches? Well, there are numerous antigens, and the antigens are constantly evolving new molecular structures and new ways to attack. It is impossible for the immune system to know which antigens will attack over a lifetime or what new guises they might adopt. So we have two types of immune soldiers: the generalists and the specialists.
Phagocytes are generalists; they’ll attack and try to gobble up all the antigens they can. But what if an antigen evolves methods of evading or defeating the phagocytes? That’s where the lymphocytes come in. They’re specialists, and they are given very specific instructions before they’re sent out after antigens.
Special training is a good idea, but it takes time. What’s to prevent antigens from wreaking havoc before the lymphocytes are ready? That’s where phagocytes come into play. Their job is to defeat the germs or hold them off until the lymphocytes are ready to attack.
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March 10, 2010
Your Immune System- T-Cells And B-Cells
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