Question

Your friend Bruce calls in a panic. He has just come from the doctor and been diagnosed with a bacterial infection. The doctor told him not to worry; his B cells will take care of it in no time! Knowing that you are studying the immune response, he is calling to ask you to explain this statement. Is the doctor correct

Answer 1

Answer:

Answered below

Explanation:

B cells are a type of white blood cells of a subtype called lymphocytes. They confer acquired or adaptive immunity. This means that B lymphocytes responses to infective microbes are from the memories of their previous encounter with the microbes or antigens.

B lymphocytes fight bacteria and viruses by making Y-shaped proteins called antibodies. These antibodies are specific for each pathogen encountered. They identify and lock on to the surface of invading pathogenic cells and mark and present them for destruction by other immune cells.

Oftentimes, these antibodies are enough to fight off most bacterial infections that we have and therefore there's no need for extensive treatment with drugs.

Answer 2

I will explain the statement 'his B cells will take care of it in no time!

I will start by explaining to him what B cells are literally all about and how they function in the body to fight/wade off infections.

B-cells or B lymphocytes are type of white blood cell, they are made in the bone marrow and they belong to the lymphocytes subtype and plays a crucial role in

the humoral immunity component of the adaptive system,they do so by the making antibiotics to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. (Antigens).

The play the role of antigen presenting cells and further form memory cells after they are activated by antibody-antigen reaction.

B cells can develop into memory cells or plasma cells which produce the most antibodies.

So when there is a bacterial invasion like in the above question,the memory cells of the B lymphocytes identify the bacteria,attack it and mark it for destruction.