James is Trying

If you memorize the lyrics to this song, you’ll know everything you need to know about the human immune system.

(My apologies for the horrendous accent)

 

 

The microbe is always meaner when it is coughed in your face
and gets past innate defenses, but that is a big mistake.
The body has many weapons to get rid of that microbe
But if our immune cells fail us, we will end up on the floor

Immunity, Immunity
When we infected, we are protected by IgG.
Antibody classes are made, Ig M, D, G, E and A
B cells secrete ‘em so macrophage eat ‘em
Immunity

The microbes in us is happy ‘cause it is so warm and moist.
and most of the time we’re happy, unless the bugs make a choice
to release some exotoxin, or hit us with LPS
but that’s when the macrophages swallow them with great success

Immunity, Immunity
The APCs show it so we can coat it with antibody
macrophages help the plan, in the lymph node we build a clan
Opsonization, retaliation
Immunity, Immunity
B cells and T cells reacting to ‘self’ will not help me
In the bone marrow, tolerance preventing autoimmune defense
Allelic exclusion, two chances to use ‘em
Immunity

MHC I and MHC II, they help killer cells identify you
secrete cytokines, tell you, ‘you ain’t fine’
They’re released by the CD4
The Th1 and the Th2, they always remain in balance in you
Too much IL4, an allergy war
And you sneeze due to IgE

-smooth jazz guitar solo-

Immunity, Immunity
Measles, mumps and rubella, but not salmonella, we have a vaccine.
Attenuated or even dead helps Bs and Ts to get ahead
Vaccine is protection from getting infection, Immunity
The macrophage eat it, so we can beat it, Immunity
Chemokines guiding to microbes in hiding
The complement stab it so PMNs grab it
We’re under the weather but we will get better
Immunity