Page 78 - The Miracle of the Immune System
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THE MIRACLE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
A cell destroying itself (middle). This programmed self-destruction is for the
replacement of tissues or the elimination of damaged cells.
The T cell’s Differentiation
According to the Order It Receives
The war has not yet ended for the T cells. Some T cells-to-be destroy
themselves after receiving a specific signal from other cells.
There is very limited information on the signals that cause the cells
to die a programmed death, to continue to live, or to mature and trans-
form themselves. From a scientific point of view, this remains one of the
unsolved mysteries of the defence system. Many similar cells in our body
receive signals from somewhere, and start functioning upon this signal.
How can these cells, which send signals to one another, be aware of the
need to send a signal? Mahlon B. Hoagland brings up the same question
in his book, The Roots of Life:
How do the cells know when to stop growing? What tells them that the or-
gans of which they’re a part are not just the right size?… What is the na-
ture of the division stopping signal(s)? We don’t know the answer and we
continue to search for it. 10
