The human immune system
Chapter 1
First contact and the cellular border patrol
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Chapter 2
The specialized forces of adaptive memory
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Chapter 3
The ancient global quest to train our defenses
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Chapter 4
When defenses misfire or overreact
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The human immune system
Ch 2 · The specialized forces of adaptive memory
Fun Fact
Bone marrow factory: Your body produces about 100 billion new white blood cells every single day inside your bone marrow to keep your defenses fully staffed.
Glossary
memory cell (noun)
A long-lived lymphocyte that remains in the body after an infection to provide rapid protection against future encounters with the same pathogen. In 1957, Frank Macfarlane Burnet proposed clonal selection to explain how these cells generate immunological memory.
A long-lived lymphocyte that remains in the body after an infection to provide rapid protection against future encounters with the same pathogen. In 1957, Frank Macfarlane Burnet proposed clonal selection to explain how these cells generate immunological memory.
Quiz
What is the primary function of the hundreds of bean-shaped lymph nodes in the human body?
Quiz
Approximately how many antibodies can a single active B cell produce every second?
Quiz
Which type of immune cell retains the "blueprints" of defeated pathogens for decades?
Quiz
How much faster is the immune response when memory cells encounter a familiar pathogen a second time?
Quiz
What is the name of the clear fluid that flows through the lymphatic system carrying immune cells?