Page 97 - The Miracle of the Blood and Heart

Blood: The Incomparable
Liquid of Life

The macrophage Antigenic material com- The newly combined MHC
captures the anti- bines with a new class II site forms.
Infectious genic material, con- MHC class II protein.
material serves and process-
es it.
Antigen-presenting
macrophage with MHC
class II antigen sites
Lysosome
Antigen

New class II
antigen site
Lysosome Induced by external invader, such as
bacteria or fungus
Antigen-presenting
macrophage with MHC
Antigen class I antigen sites
New type I
antigen region
Viral or
cancerous
material
The macrophage cap- Viral or cancerous pro- The newly
tures viral or cancerous teins are broken down combined
material. The antigenic and combine with MHC MHC class I Induced by viral or cancerous
material is conserved class I protein. site forms. antigen
and processed.
Antigen-Presenting Macrophages
By a most systematic method, macrophages trap and destroy a cell that has
invaded the body. The macrophage captures the antigenic material and
processes it to supplement one of its MHC class I or II sites. Being fixed to the
MHC protein, the antigen forms a surface complex that will stimulate the T
cells' surface receptors. The MHC protein within the complex determines
whether it will attach to a killer T-cell or a helper T-cell.

cell, join around it and fuse together. The foreign cell is now
engulfed inside the neutrophil, loses its membrane and col-
lapses into the neutrophil's cytoplasm. A neutrophil can
phagocytose and destroy 5 to 20 bacteria before it dies.
However, monocytes—the initial form of macrophages—
need to mature before they can perform their tasks.
Monocytes travel through the bloodstream for 10 to 20
hours before entering the tissues, whereupon they
widen by swelling and become macrophages. They
can live for months or even years as long as they are
Adnan
Oktar

95