IMMUNE RESPONSE

How Does Your Body Fight Back?

Our bodies may experience fevers during the early stage of HIV in order to kill the pathogen. Although, there might not be any responses to HIV because some individuals may not experience any symptoms. HIV is such a difficult virus to detect and kill because it can replicate quickly enough that our immune system doesn't recognize it so it can't begin to attack it straight away. Only being able to identify it once it's too late and the virus has already matured. Leaving the body permanently impaired as all opportunistic infections are dangerous due to your weakened immune system and no way to fight back.

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As a response to viruses, our bodies create antibodies which cling to any parasites, viruses & bacteria. Clumping up and alerting the body of these foreign presences, which in turn the body reacts by releasing toxic substances. The cells that create antibodies are called B cells. Along with B cells, there are also T cells, these cells have more than one job. They send chemical signals to your immune system to create the most effective antibodies, attack virus cells immediately & assist B cells in creating antibodies. We also have white blood cells in our blood which are constantly fighting against harmful substances in our bodies to prevent illness.

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Sources

"What Are White Blood Cells?," University of Rochester Medical Center. 12/15/18. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=35&ContentTypeID=160.

"What do T- and B-cells do?," Science Museum. 12/15/18. http://whoami.sciencemuseum.org.uk/whoami/findoutmore/yourbody/whatdoesyourimmunesystemdo/howdoesyourimmunesystemwork/whatdot-andb-cellsdo.