Page 130 - The Miracle in the Immune System
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128 THE MIRACLE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
A healthy T cell (left)
AT cell that has been destroyed by the enemy (the AIDS
virus) and now possesses a round and softened profile.
(right) These images are magnified more than 3,000 times.
terial of the T cell. As the cell multiplies, so does the HIV
virus. The cell starts to work as a factory for the virus.
But invading a single cell does not satisfy the HIV virus. It
will eventually attempt to seize the whole body.
Then the fourth stage comes. The initial HIV virus
and others want to leave their host cells and invade oth-
er cells to facilitate their extraordinary proliferation.
They do not expend much effort in doing so. Everything
takes place at a natural pace. The membrane of the in-
vaded T cells cannot tolerate the pressure of the multi-
plication process, and is riddled with holes, allowing the
HIV viruses to get out of the cell to seek alternative
hosts. As the HIV virus increases in number, it also kills
its host T cell.
