Page 114 - The Miracle of the Immune System

M
N NORMAL
A
L
R
O
L
E
C CELL
L
E
L
L
B BLEB C CELL
B
E
L
I
B BEGINNING
G
N
G
I
N
N
E
D
D
E
N
S
N
C CONDENSED A APOPTOSIS
O
E
S
O
S
I
O
P
P
T
N
R
O
C CHROMATIN
H
M
T
I
A
U
L
C
R
A
E
N NUCLEAR
E
M
F FRAGMENTS
S
T
N
A
R
G
Although they are not infected,
the T cells of AIDS patients die
by passing through all the sta-
ges of apoptosis. Mounting an
immune response against an
intruder virus, helper T cells
multiply. These T cells die in a
few days after they have fulfil-
G
O
E
B
I
N
U
R
I
H
G
led their function. However, N NEIGHBOURING
many healthy T cells of AIDS C CELL
L
L
E
patients commit suicide before
attempting to struggle with
the infection. First the cell
L
E
L
shrinks and pulls away from its C CELL
neighbours (top right). Then F FRAGMENTS
A
M
G
E
S
N
T
R
blebs appear on the surface
(making the cell appear to bo-
il), and the chromatin (nuclear
DNA complexed with proteins)
condenses at the edges of the
nucleus. Soon the nucleus, and
then the cell itself, breaks up,
and the cell fragments are
quickly ingested by other cells
in the vicinity.