Viruses have some clever tricks to avoid getting caught by our immune system. Here are some important ways they do this:
Changing Their Appearance: Viruses like the flu virus often change the way they look on the outside. They do this by altering their proteins, which helps them hide from the antibodies that our body has already made.
Blocking Immune Responses: Some viruses make special proteins that stop our immune system from working properly. For example, HIV creates proteins that reduce the signals needed for certain immune cells to recognize and attack them.
Hiding in a Sleepy State: Viruses like the herpes simplex virus (HSV) can go into a sort of sleep mode inside our body’s cells. While they’re in this state, they don’t get noticed. They can wake up later to cause trouble.
Camouflaging Themselves: Some viruses are sneaky enough to look like the body’s own proteins. They can even copy themselves inside immune cells, which lets them hide in plain sight.
These strategies show us how viruses and our immune system are in a constant game of cat and mouse!
Viruses have some clever tricks to avoid getting caught by our immune system. Here are some important ways they do this:
Changing Their Appearance: Viruses like the flu virus often change the way they look on the outside. They do this by altering their proteins, which helps them hide from the antibodies that our body has already made.
Blocking Immune Responses: Some viruses make special proteins that stop our immune system from working properly. For example, HIV creates proteins that reduce the signals needed for certain immune cells to recognize and attack them.
Hiding in a Sleepy State: Viruses like the herpes simplex virus (HSV) can go into a sort of sleep mode inside our body’s cells. While they’re in this state, they don’t get noticed. They can wake up later to cause trouble.
Camouflaging Themselves: Some viruses are sneaky enough to look like the body’s own proteins. They can even copy themselves inside immune cells, which lets them hide in plain sight.
These strategies show us how viruses and our immune system are in a constant game of cat and mouse!