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Dear Friends,
Welcome again to my Abode!
In the previous article I wrote about the procedure our body adopts to counter bacterial invasion. Now witness the miracle our body performs while facing an unprecedented threat from virus attack.
Evading the WALL, the GATES, and our first line defenders a stealthy adversary a virus has surreptitiously invaded our COUNTRY, the body. With the grotesque enemy inside the protective walls panic spreads throughout the cellular community. The body’s defence forces scramble to regroup to face the inexorable march of virus and the impending unavoidable battle.
At the heart of the COUNTRY the sentinel cells MACROPHAGES catching wind of the intrusion send out a distress signal alerting the immune system to mobilize its resources, which it promptly does by ordering T cells and B cells into the battle. These elite soldiers of the immune system respond swiftly to the call of duty, donning their Armour and arming themselves with the determination to identify and vanquish the hostile elements.
As the COUNTRY plunges into a state of high alert every resident cell prepares for the imminent clash with the abominable invaders.
When the intelligence unit of the immune system detects that the intruder is a deadly virus, known for its ability to evade detection and wreak havoc, it realizes that time was of essence. Though the immune cells have declared war on the virus with all their might and are fighting valiantly but are struggling to contain the rapidly proliferating enemy. If the immune system doesn’t act quickly and appropriately the entire country could be overrun, leading to catastrophic consequences.
Using the latest technology and unrivalled expertise, the INTELLIGENCE TEAM of the immune system embarks on a race against time to track down and identify the antecedents of the elusive virus. The system needs all the data to develop a full proof plan to neutralize the inimical. As the team scoured the COUNTRY for clues it comes across a network of cells and proteins working together to fight off the intruders, each with a unique role to play in contribution to body’s defence.
After great effort a few of the enemy soldiers are cornered and captured by the overwhelming preponderance of immune warriors. The captured prisoners of war are brought to the CENTRAL FORENSIC LAB of the immune system where the prisoners are subjected to complete analysis inside out. It transpires that the virus had disguised itself and taken on the appearance of the NATIVE citizen, the host cell, to evade detection by the continuous scrutiny of the body’s immune system making it hard for our soldiers to distinguish friend from foe.
Though a bit perplexed in the beginning the immune system does not remain fooled for long. It develops specialized cells that have the capability to discern the subtle differences between the Bonafide citizens and the masquerading enemy hiding in the bodies of some citizens. These specialist cells are deputed to identify and target those hostile elements. Armed with the newfound knowledge the immune system devises a plan to enhance the body’s immune response. It has engineered a way to boost the production of these recently developed specialized soldiers, empowering itself to launch a targeted counterattack on the viral enemy.
The COUNTRY erupts into violent battles, biochemical weapons being rained down on the virus and the corrupted cells. Yet the cunning virus fights back with mutations prolonging the fierce battles and misery of the populace.
The specialist T cells finally pinpoint the covert strongholds of the viruses, the already infected cells, and launch a blitzkrieg to eliminate those infected cells. Simultaneously the antibodies, like relentless hunters, lock on to the virus marking it for annihilation. The virus realizing that it was facing a formidable opponent, unleashes a full arsenal of evasive tactics. It mutates rapidly attempting to outmanoeuvre the immune system and evade capture. However, the immune system is relentless, adapting its strategies and continuously evolving to keep pace with the mutating virus. Still in spite of all the efforts immune system realizes it was losing the war.
As the COUNTRY seemed to be at the brink of devastation a vanguard of another specialized cells, called KILLER T cells, which had been kept in reserve for such an eventuality, emerge from the shadows to make a bold stand against the virus which ha taken cells of our body hostages and using them as their sanctuary. ENEMY soldiers assumed they were absolutely safe hiding behind the hostages. How badly mistaken they were!
The killer T cells, with surgical precision, launch a targeted attack on the infected cells ONLY, ensuring that no trace of the virus could persist. Amazingly there is no collateral damage, only the cells harbouring the virus are targeted for elimination. In a monumental clash the immune forces overcome the viral siege, driving out the enemy and restoring peace to the ravaged COUNTRY.
The blood bath is over, but the harrowing conflict has left the once healthy body in ruins. The toll of the battle etched upon every cell. Slowly the COUNTRY regains strength and returns to its natural rhythm and glory. The cells revel in their hard-earned triumph embodying the indomitable strength and resilience of the human body.
Again, the same question comes up. What did we do to lend a hand in this ordeal which our body was subjected to?
Nothing!
We just gave our body some rest, to be accurate our body made us feel so weak by taking away its resources from unimportant activities that we were FORCED to rest so that the body could direct it’s resources where they were most needed. We ate and let the body do the rest. The medicines we consumed were simply to abate the symptoms which actually are the manifestations of the bloody war going on inside us. Our body literally doesn’t need much of help to cure itself, it’s totally self-reliant in this regard, it has inherent quality to cure itself without any outside help.
Some people might be intelligent enough to raise a very pertinent question, that is, if our body is self-curing then why is it not able to get rid of diseases like cancer and AIDS on its own?
There are extremely valid answers to both above mentioned queries. Cancer is not a disease caused by infection but is the result of defects caused to our DNA for any reason out of hundreds of reasons which include our lifestyles. Cancer is nothing but our healthy cells multiplying beyond control. Since they are body’s own cells and have no foreign element attached to them our body’s immune system has no reason to attack it. Under normal circumstances immune cells of our body DO NOT attack to kill the uninfected cells.
Coming to AIDS, we have seen how our body targets infected cells for elimination through its elite assassins the T cells. Unfortunately, the HIV which causes AIDS makes the killer T cells it’s sanctuary, infects them and makes them defunct. Once the body’s henchmen themselves get compromised HIV has nothing to fear and marches forward with impunity, inexorably.
AMAZING!
The whole saga feels so surreal, a dream, an illusion.
The microscopic components of our body detect, track, capture, interrogate, use forensics, analyse the enemy exhaustively and find precisely suitable antidotes and then “laser bomb” the intruders with utmost precision.
Intelligence within intelligence within intelligence!
Unbelievable! Isn’t it?
What would you call this if not miracles. The miracles taking place in our body every second of our life without bothering us in any significant way unless we become bigots and refuse to listen to our body.
Can the complete set of activities be orchestrated by anything other than DIVINE?
I don’t think so.
In the next article the scientific version of how our body fights infections, as riveting, will be placed in front of you which is going to bewilder you even more. The step-by-step narration will astound you to the extent of leaving you breathless.
Signing off
Rakesh Batra
8th June 2024
