2021-10-09 19:25:55
In previous chapters of the series dedicated to the Immune System (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7), Jorge Laborda has been presenting one by one the main protagonists of our body defense system. This is how we already know sentinel cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, the complement system and the elite forces that intervene when the infection has already overcome the barriers that our body initially puts in the way of our enemies, whether they are bacteria, fungi or viruses. Today we continue with some true geniuses of immune military intelligence: T lymphocytes. These cells begin their life with an essential first step, learning what is their own, that is, knowing what belongs to our own body in order to avoid that in the heat of of the battle there are casualties among the population of cells that make up us. This prior learning process paves the way for another that allows you to differentiate what is your own from what is foreign and concentrate all your efforts on what really matters: controlling the infection and defeating it.
If the rest of the defense forces have presented us with specialized but identical cells, T lymphocytes are of impressive diversity, they exist by the millions and they are all different. They are grouped into two fundamental types, although there are more, some called CD8, they are called “cytotoxic” because they are responsible for eliminating those cells that have been infected and have become factories of new viruses or bacteria. Another type, known as CD4 T lymphocytes, are responsible for “helping” other cells of the immune system to improve their effectiveness in fighting the enemy.
T lymphocytes are not cells that patrol the body looking for enemies, quite the contrary, they make their headquarters in the lymph nodes and patiently wait for information about the invader to reach them. At most, they change quarters by jumping from one ganglion to another to favor their capacity for action. The cells in charge of transporting the information to the lymphocytes belong to the classes that have faced the invader in the first skirmishes: sentinel cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. These cells are called antigen-presenting cells because they capture the bacteria or viruses at the source of infection, partially digest them, express molecules of the invading agent on their membranes, and go to the lymph nodes. Once in the lymph nodes, the antigen-presenting cells present the fragments of the enemy to the large population of T lymphocytes.
Each T lymphocyte is different, it presents different molecules on its surface that can “hook” with foreign molecules that are displayed by antigen-presenting cells. However, this molecular connection is not easy, the set fits like a key and a lock, a simile is quite graphic, because we know that a key will only connect satisfactorily with the lock that corresponds to it and not with another. Thus, only those lymphocytes that contain a key that connects with the lock offered by the antigen-presenting cells will be activated. Even so, to avoid risks, this activation will only occur when at least three requirements that Jorge Laborda explains today in today’s program are met. It is not the objective of this summary to tell the whole story, I invite you to listen to it in this podcast because it will help you understand how complex and, at the same time, wonderful that our immune system is.
CHAPTERS ISSUED
We are surrounded! immune system 1.
The chemical warfare of the Immune System 2.
Alarm, we are attacked! Immune system 3
Adapting to the enemy within. immune system 4.
Reporting on the enemy. immune system 5.
B lymphocytes and antibodies. immune system 6
Antibody test and T lymphocytes. Immune System 7
BOOKS:
Your defenses against coronavirus. A brief introduction to the immune system
Your defenses against coronavirus. A brief introduction to the immune system.
Your defenses against coronavirus. A brief introduction to the immune system.
Deflamed immunology: An introduction to the immune system and its pathologies
Deflamed immunology: An introduction to the immune system and its pathologies
Deflamed immunology: An introduction to the immune system and its pathologies
#Cienciaes.com #lymphocyte #license #kill #collaborate #Immune #System #spoke #Jorge #Laborda