See Also: memory cell(medicine)
memory T-cell(medicine)
Cell memory(health)
Memory(health)
memory hog(dictionary)
memory(dictionary)
MEMORY(law)
memory(encyclopedia)
memory(dictionary)
memory(medicine)

Cell memory (health)


If foreign substances (e.g. bacteria) enter the body, the immune system reacts by attacking and killing them. At the same time, T-cells and B-cells produce a population of memory cells. If you are subsequently exposed to the same bacteria, the immune system reacts much more quickly. In allergy, this mechanism is called "priming". You do not experience an allergic reaction the first time you are exposed to a particular allergen, but your body registers the allergen and, over time, you may develop an allergy to it.