Just had paramedics round

I watched an excellent program last night (I think) using computer generated animation to show what happens inside you when a virus attacks. It was amazing. It almost made me proud of my flu germs, they are so sophisticated.

Our immune systems are amazing too, and watching this documentary really saw me see viruses in a new light.

Apparently, most of the germs that get in wont even make it as far as attacking our cells, because some clever little fellows attach a protein marker to them, which tells the white blood cells and some bog standard 'sentry' antibodies to destroy them. Some of the viruses will make it as far as attaching themselves to our cells though. They then have to get in, so they trick the cell into thinking they are food by exposing a certain protein marker. Ultimately the virus gets in, invades the cell nucleus, and then swaps our DNA for the virus DNA so that our own cells manufacture thousands of new viruses to go out and continue the conquest.

However, apparently the invaded cell releases a a tell tale protein to say it has been attacked. Only then do we feel any symptoms, as our own immune system launches everything not only at the infected cell (which is doomed anyway) but also the cells in the immediate vicinity, just in case they too are compromised.

Inevitably in this internal microscopic war, we end up with loads of smashed up proteins floating about in our blood, some from our own dead cells, some from white blood cells and antibodies that have fallen in battle, and some from the smashed in viruses. And what happens to all these smashed up proteins? Our clever bodies mop them up, disassemble them, reassemble them in a different chemical order, and then it all gets reused. In effect, we consume the broken viruses.

But here's the twist. Our immune system, while ripping the viruses apart, will try to keep one relatively intact. Its then boxed up in a protective protein casing, shipped off and stored in the bone marrow in an archive, so that if any of its buddies come back, our immune system already has 'intelligence' on its design, so that we can defeat it much more quickly next time.

Pure genius.

 

Cor

 

Wow Clueless - give 'em all a big pat on the back! Haven't they done well?

 

That was really interesting to read Clueless.

So glad you're feeling better now too.

 

Can you point us to this programme then ?

Jack McH

 

Had to look it up in wife's telly mag. I never pay attention to what stuff's called or what channel its on or anything, I tend to just flick until I find something interesting on the rare occasions when I actually watch telly.

Anyway, found it. It was on BBC2 on Sunday night at 8PM. Secret Universe: The Hidden Life of the Cell.

Here it is on iPlayer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01nln7d/Secret_Universe_The_Hidden_Life_of_the_Cell/

 

Cheers Clueless1
Take a free weeks holiday, tell your boss Jack McHammocklashing told you

Jack McH