THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

LENGYEL LILI AND ROSTÁS BOGLÁRKA

INTRODUCTION

 Your immune system is a fascinating complex that works 24/7 to protect you from viruses, bacteria, and flying rotary
plows. It has 3 different lines of defense, the first line being the skin, the second being macrophages, mash cells and other
white blood cells, and the third line includes B and T cells, which are specific white blood cells. The first two lines of
defense are non-specific, because they protect from anything that wants to enter your body (unless you straightforward
decide consume that something, like picking up your fried caramel pickles that you accidentally dropped in the well
outside of town and eating it, after all the nasty bacteria had thrown an awesome social-distancing prom on there). The
third line is different because it is a response, specialized to eliminate that specific pathogen that entered your body. And
based on whether it is a virus or bacteria, it trigger either a cell-centered or humoral response. This is what we're going to
explain with much precision and a sick sense of humor.

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GETTING A BACTERIAL INFECTION

So, how can you get a bacterial infection? I know it’s not
something you strive to have, but let’s take this very
unfortunate and rather likely scenario: you are injured by
your neighbor’s rabid capybara. With a sharpened
toothbrush. Bacteria can now enter your body through the
wound, since your first line of defense (your skin, which
is a non-specific line) has been brutally penetrated by a
toothbrush. 

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SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE

Your body has an immidiate reaction to this, your second

line of defense (still non-specific) comes into play. The
mast cell releases histamine, which creates an
inflammation. And before you think; why on earth would
that be good for me?? Here is an explanation: the
inflammation dilates the blood vessels around the
damaged area, making it easier for another very
important microrganism to get there through increased
blood flow: the macrophages. They engulf the bacteria
and digest them with the help of digestive enzymes.

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THIRD LINE OF DEFENSE, HUMORAL RESPONSE

Finally, we reach the third line of defense, the specific

one. At this point, even the bacteria had lost the will to
live, yet it still has to endure the horror of fancy terms
like adaptive immunity. This refers to the specific
response to an antigen, which the bacteria carries. This
usually triggers a white blood cell known as B-cell, and
they are able to make antibodies, which latch onto the
bacterias’ antigens, and terminate them through
unspeakable sufferings. 

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HUMORAL RESPONSE CONTINUED

B-cells can also be triggered by macrophages, who had

consumed a bacteria and are now showing the antigens of
the pathogen on their receptors. A helper t-cell can bind
to that, and send out chemical signals to wake up that
hungover B-cell ant tell it to start making antibodies. An
antibody is a Y shaped protein that can bind to a specific
antigen. 

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B-CELLS

An activated B-cell, after binding to a helper T-cell will

begin to reproduce through mitosis, and create affected
B-cells and B memory cells. B memory cells are
responsible for later on recognising the same antigen, and
triggering a fast response if you happen to mess with a
rabid capybara again (I’m no judge, but still…). Affected
B-cells/plasma cells will start to produce antibodies like
crazy, and upon finding the antigen have a full blown
massacre inside you, while you are peacefully watching
My Little Pony (still not judging…)

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GETTING A VIRAL INFECTION

 Getting a viral infection is slightly different than a

bacterial infection. First of all, the viruses have a
protein coat and RNA inside that. When they enter the
body cell the protein coat breaks down and the viral
RNA is released. According to the viral RNA new RNA
particles are produced and they get a new coat also.
Then they are happily bubbling out from your cell and
going to infect other cells. The viral cell soon dies then
you get ill, so you don’t have to go to school, and you
can stay at home and watch even more My Little Pony. 

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A PEACEFUL SCENARIO

 Every cell of the body has an identical MHC receptor, and

everybody has different MHC receptors. It works like and ID
card. 
 T-lymphocytes going around the body, checking every cell and
making sure it belongs to the body. The T-cell has a receptor which
binds up with the body cell’s MHC receptor. The T-receptor can
only recognizes the MHC receptor and the antigen or protein
attached to it. When there is peacetime, the body cell has a self-
protein inserted to its MHC receptor and when the T-cell checks it
with its receptor, the T-cell can see that body cell is doing fine. 
 Then the T-cell says goodbye and moves to the next cell.

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 A BATTLE SCENARIO

 Okay, so the T-lymphocyte we’ve met previously has a dark side, we

call it the cytotoxic killer. 
 When the body is invaded by a virus, the infected cell builds the viral
protein into its MHC receptor (instead of its own self-protein) and
displays it on its surface. The MHC-viral complex is recognized by the
patrol T-cell who comes to check the body cell and it triggers its dark
side. The T-cell starts to release perforin (it’s a kind of protein) which
gets build into the body cell’s cell membrane then it punches holes on
the cell and the cytoplasm is spilled out so eventually the cell dies.
 So, basically the T-cell kills the virus infected body cell to stop the
manufacture of the viral RNAs because viruses can only produce
themselves in living cells. 

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IMMUNITY

 Each T-cell has different T-receptor and no two T-lymphocyte have a

receptor with the same antigen specificity. So, when the viral antigen
builds into the MHC-receptor and it binds up with the matching T-
receptor, the specific binding of the T-receptor to the viral antigen
triggers the T-cell to divide. It clones itself and produces cytotoxic T-
cells aka killers which will attack the other viral infected cells and kill
them to stop the virus. 
 The T-cell also produces memory T-cells which will stay in the body
and ensure the immunity and safety. So, when a memory cell meets
again with the virus it can easily give a response and destroy it. And
that's how you get immunity against a virus.

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SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO IMMUNE
RESPONSE

Similarities Differences

• Both the T-cells and B-

cells produce memory
cells which will provide • B-cells can be activated
the immunity. by the antigen itself, T-
• In both cases, there are a cells need a signal
particular antobody or • The body's own cells are
TCR which can bind up not involved in a
with the particular bacterial infection
antigen.

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