Immunity system complexity (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, June 23, 2020, 19:38 (1400 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: I still don’t know what “instructions” you are referring to. Do you simply mean the cells must respond to the new invader by finding means of killing it? The means are certainly NOT fixed, since each new invader demands a new response - and sometimes the cells are unable to come up with the goods.

DAVID: A new response does not mean a new method of response. Antibodies always form in the same way by taking notice of a protein or series of proteins on the invader's surface and forming a killer antibody to neutralize it.

dhw: And so the “instructions” are to kill or neutralize the invader with antibodies. However, each response, i.e. each new antibody, has to be new. We are in agreement.

No, the in instructions are how to make the proper antibody for each and every infection. Of course each antibody is different, noting a specific protein on the invader.

DAVID: As for your question bolded above, the cells contain the instructional information for their standardized responses, and add new instructional information for the newly developed antibody response to their ever expanding library of responses. All by original design of the cells. Remember the newborn comes with a blank library and builds it over a lifetime.

dhw: Yes indeed, the cells’ standard response to a new disease is to try and kill or neutralize the cause, and it does so by developing new antibodies and hence an ongoing library of responses. Unfortunately, they do not always succeed. Thank you for confirming my two bolds: 1) the immune system has had to come up with new answers every time, thus building its library of responses, and 2) the immune system does NOT contain instructions on how to counter all diseases. We appear to be in complete agreement.

Yes, the immune cells can only follow the instructions they have given to them as fetuses.