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Immune System

• B cells - B cells are also called B lymphocytes. These cells produce antibodies that bind to antigens and neutralize them. Each B cell makes one specific type of antibody. For example, there is a specific B cell that helps to fight off the flu.
• T cells - T cells are also called T lymphocytes. These cells help to get rid of good cells that have already been infected.
• Helper T cells - Helper T cells tell B cells to start making antibodies or instruct killer T cells to attack.
• Killer T cells - Killer T cells destroy cells that have been infected by the invader.
• Memory cells - Memory cells remember antigens that have already attacked the body. They help the body to fight off any new attacks by a specific antigen.

• Active immunity - When our bodies develop immunities over time through the immune system this is called active immunity. Whenever we are exposed to a disease (and sometimes get sick), the immune system learns how to fight off the disease. The next time that disease invades, our body is ready for it and can quickly produce antibodies to prevent infection. We can also gain active immunity from vaccines.


• Passive immunity - When we are born, our bodies may already have some immunity. Babies get antibodies from their mother as they are growing in the womb. They may also gain some antibodies from their mother's milk. It is also possible to get antibodies from an animal or another person through immunoglobulin treatments. These are all passive immunities because they weren't developed by our body's own immune system.

• Some immunity eventually goes away, so we need a new vaccine after a period of time.
• Different people have different levels of immunity to certain diseases. This is why some people get sick more often than others.
• Sometimes the immune system can get confused and attack good cells. Type I diabetes is caused when T cells attack insulin producing cells in the pancreas.
• T cells and B cells are stored in lymph nodes throughout the body. They enter the blood stream when they are needed to defend against disease.
• Your body responds much faster and stronger the second time it sees an antigen.

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