Name: Courtney
Status: Student
Grade: Other
Location: FL
Country: United States
Date: April 2008
Question:
How does the immune system recognizes an infection? What does
it encounter first?
Replies:
Pre-existing antibodies (generated during embryonic development and infancy)
bind to the foreign substance which signals white blood cells that make antibodies
that bind to that substance to start making more antibodies to that substance.
Substances that have antibodies bound to them are then attacked by other types of
white blood cells which kill or ingest these substances. Before ever being exposed
to any foreign substances, the immune system can make several million diferent
types of antibodies as a result of genetic recombination during embryonic
development,
Ron Baker, Ph.D.
Good question our bodies have a good defense system called the immune system,......
part of our blood cells the white cells of which there are a variety of types....
here the T-Cells are the soldiers that go to the attack and further in many cases
remember an invader from the past and come to attack quickly, helped by the lymph
system....(please review). The main or key here is that the invder chemistry/markers
are recog. as not part of "us" or even just "you"...things can get very specific
here (transplants/blood types). That is the very basic idea. Hope this helps.
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