These instructions help Killer T-cells and B-cells make a lot more of themselves so they can fight the infection and make sure the fight stays under control. They use chemical messages to give instructions to the other immune system cells. Instead, they are like team coordinators. These cells don’t make toxins or fight invaders themselves. The other type of T-cell is the Helper T-cell. The pieces of destroyed cells and viruses are then cleaned up by macrophages. This is why Killer T-cells are also called Cytotoxic T-cells. Cytotoxins go directly inside the cell through this pore, destroying it and any viruses inside. Perforin first makes a pore, or hole, in the membrane of the infected cell. When the perfectly shaped virus antigen on an infected cell fits into the Killer T-cell receptor, the T-cell releases perforin and cytotoxins. The T-cell receptor fits with its antigen like a complex key. Most of these antigens will never get in your body, but the T-cells that patrol your body will recognize them if they do. Antigens and receptors work a lot like a lock and key. Each cell has a unique T-cell receptor that can fit with only one kind of antigen, like a lock that can fit with only one shape of key. There are 25 million to a billion different T-cells in your body. This is a signal for the Killer T-cell that lets it know this is a cell that must be destroyed. If a cell is infected with a virus, it has pieces of virus antigens on its surface. They let T-cells know that they are not intruders. Healthy cells have 'self-antigens' on the surface of their membranes. Killer T-cells are able to find the cells with viruses and destroy them.Īntigens work like identification tags that give your immune system information about your cells and any intruders. To do this they need to tell the difference between the infected cells and healthy cells with the help of special molecules called antigens. Killer T-cells find and destroy infected cells that have been turned into virus-making factories. The bumps on the T-cell are T-cell receptors used to fight infections. Picture taken with a scanning electron microscope of a T-cell (right), platelet that helps blood to clot (center) and a red blood cell (left).
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