How are human diseases such as cholera and whooping cough related to cellular communication?
Your body’s immune response to infection is heavily dependant on cellular communication. In viral infections, (such as influenza) infected cells change their cell membrane markers. Bacteria (such as Vibrio Cholera or Diptheria) carry natural cell wall markers. These are like security identification cards. T-Cell, a specialized form of white blood cell (WBC), checks the I.D.s of every cell it encounters. If the I.D. is abnormal in any way, it sounds a “cellular alarm”. TCells communicate the “picture” of the viralized cell or bacteria to B-Cells. B-Cells fires antibodies targetted to the viral-infected cell or bacteria. The enemy is plastered with signs that say “kill me”! Macrophages (the “hit men” of the immune system) kill and digest all antibody-marked cells. This is a form of direct cellular communication. Without it, we would all die from a common cold. Hope this helps.
