Video of your immune system at work
February 6, 2010 6:58 PM Subscribe
wow, that didn't take long.
posted by deadmessenger at 7:00 PM on February 6, 2010
posted by deadmessenger at 7:00 PM on February 6, 2010
We killed it.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:00 PM on February 6, 2010
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:00 PM on February 6, 2010
"This account has been suspended."
The bacteria won?
posted by Heretic at 7:00 PM on February 6, 2010
The bacteria won?
posted by Heretic at 7:00 PM on February 6, 2010
Youtube version
Saw this on reddit a couple hours ago. You're slipping, metafilter.
posted by smcameron at 7:02 PM on February 6, 2010
Saw this on reddit a couple hours ago. You're slipping, metafilter.
posted by smcameron at 7:02 PM on February 6, 2010
I've lit the mod signal, to get the link changed in the post. Let's see who's sober!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:06 PM on February 6, 2010
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:06 PM on February 6, 2010
It's so weird to think that fight is likely happening inside of me right now.
Oh ten second rule, you fickle mistress.
posted by JimmyJames at 7:13 PM on February 6, 2010 [2 favorites]
Oh ten second rule, you fickle mistress.
posted by JimmyJames at 7:13 PM on February 6, 2010 [2 favorites]
If ever there was a need for Yakety Sax.
posted by stavrogin at 7:17 PM on February 6, 2010 [18 favorites]
posted by stavrogin at 7:17 PM on February 6, 2010 [18 favorites]
OK, so the white blood cell doesn't have eyes, so it's not like it's chasing the bacterium in the same way a dog chases a cat. Moreover, the bacterium doesn't have little Speedy Gonzalez legs to run away on.
So, what's actually happening here? How are these objects moving or appearing to move? What is the mechanism at work here that explains how the white blood cell is appearing to "stay on the hunt," so to speak, like a bloodhound after a bad guy?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:31 PM on February 6, 2010
So, what's actually happening here? How are these objects moving or appearing to move? What is the mechanism at work here that explains how the white blood cell is appearing to "stay on the hunt," so to speak, like a bloodhound after a bad guy?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:31 PM on February 6, 2010
What is the mechanism at work here that explains how the white blood cell is appearing to "stay on the hunt," so to speak, like a bloodhound after a bad guy?
Intelligent design.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:32 PM on February 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Intelligent design.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:32 PM on February 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Tiny shoggoth in your bloodstream...
posted by Artw at 7:38 PM on February 6, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 7:38 PM on February 6, 2010 [2 favorites]
Cool Papa Bell, the process is called chemotaxis. Those links should probably give you enough to go on, for starters.
posted by Quietgal at 7:39 PM on February 6, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Quietgal at 7:39 PM on February 6, 2010 [3 favorites]
So after I played the youtube version, one of the two videos suggested afterwards was "White Blood Cell Saves Christmas." Impressive thing, the immune system.
posted by dilettante at 7:55 PM on February 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dilettante at 7:55 PM on February 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Mod note: Swapped out the link to the working youtube version.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:27 PM on February 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:27 PM on February 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
I kinda felt sorry for that little guy.
posted by digsrus at 8:30 PM on February 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by digsrus at 8:30 PM on February 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ba-dum, ba-dum ba-dum, ba-dum ba-dummmmmm!
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the bloodstream.
posted by Kevin Street at 9:18 PM on February 6, 2010 [2 favorites]
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the bloodstream.
posted by Kevin Street at 9:18 PM on February 6, 2010 [2 favorites]
Neato.
It's one thing to read about this sort of thing and try to visualize how it might go down, even with the best medical illustrations, quite another to actually see it in action. Thanks Brandon Blatcher.
posted by Zinger at 9:57 PM on February 6, 2010
It's one thing to read about this sort of thing and try to visualize how it might go down, even with the best medical illustrations, quite another to actually see it in action. Thanks Brandon Blatcher.
posted by Zinger at 9:57 PM on February 6, 2010
Aaaand now I have a zit.
posted by dirigibleman at 10:16 PM on February 6, 2010
posted by dirigibleman at 10:16 PM on February 6, 2010
The bacteria getting eaten sorta look like diplococci - microbiology-speak for paired-up round bacterial cells. If the big phagocyte is a human PMN (polymorphonuclear leukocyte, AKA a neutrophil, our primary bacterial-gobbling shock troops), that'd make the bacterial cells likely to be either Neisseria (n. meningitides, a cause of meningitis, or n. gonorrhoeae, the cause of... guess what?) or Streptococcus pneumoniae. I'd say the latter option would be more likely.
Anybody with a less cursory knowledge of this care to weigh in?
posted by killdevil at 11:26 PM on February 6, 2010
Anybody with a less cursory knowledge of this care to weigh in?
posted by killdevil at 11:26 PM on February 6, 2010
hal_c_on: Do you often make parties stop?
Hell, he just got the real party started!
posted by Kattullus at 11:55 PM on February 6, 2010 [3 favorites]
Hell, he just got the real party started!
posted by Kattullus at 11:55 PM on February 6, 2010 [3 favorites]
Do you often make parties stop?
*bangs on the ceiling with a broom*
Turn that fucking music down or I'm calling the cops again!
posted by killdevil at 12:43 AM on February 7, 2010 [2 favorites]
*bangs on the ceiling with a broom*
Turn that fucking music down or I'm calling the cops again!
posted by killdevil at 12:43 AM on February 7, 2010 [2 favorites]
A dermal dendritic cell capturing an Leishmania parasite in vivo.
[dermal DCs are a type of WBC]
posted by kisch mokusch at 1:10 AM on February 7, 2010
[dermal DCs are a type of WBC]
posted by kisch mokusch at 1:10 AM on February 7, 2010
Go get it, boy! Go get it! Gooooood, White Cell. Gooood boy.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:43 AM on February 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 5:43 AM on February 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
My white blood cells are apparently really, really lazy since I've had bronchitis, sinusitis and an upper respiratory infection within the last 2 months.
posted by desjardins at 6:47 AM on February 7, 2010
posted by desjardins at 6:47 AM on February 7, 2010
My white blood cells are apparently really, really lazy since I've had bronchitis, sinusitis and an upper respiratory infection within the last 2 months.
That's what happens. They get a Netflix account and bam! No productivity.
posted by Talanvor at 7:58 AM on February 7, 2010
That's what happens. They get a Netflix account and bam! No productivity.
posted by Talanvor at 7:58 AM on February 7, 2010
My white blood cells are apparently really, really lazy since I've had bronchitis, sinusitis and an upper respiratory infection within the last 2 months.
As I tell my girlfriend whenever she complains that her immune system is crap because she got sick, "If it wasn't actually pretty stupendously badass, you'd already be dead."
posted by adamdschneider at 8:21 AM on February 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
As I tell my girlfriend whenever she complains that her immune system is crap because she got sick, "If it wasn't actually pretty stupendously badass, you'd already be dead."
posted by adamdschneider at 8:21 AM on February 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
If ever there was a need for Yakety Sax.
...an elegant website for a more civilized age.
posted by Evilspork at 8:48 AM on February 7, 2010
...an elegant website for a more civilized age.
posted by Evilspork at 8:48 AM on February 7, 2010
I think I see the Proteus there, off to one side... with Raquel floating outside...
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 12:51 PM on February 7, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 12:51 PM on February 7, 2010 [2 favorites]
digsrus: I kinda felt sorry for that little guy.
That is only because you haven't meet one your innate immune system hasn't been able to handle
hal_c_on: What a phage!
You might be thinking of Phagocytosis, but Phage work too
posted by Blasdelb at 9:22 PM on February 7, 2010
That is only because you haven't meet one your innate immune system hasn't been able to handle
hal_c_on: What a phage!
You might be thinking of Phagocytosis, but Phage work too
posted by Blasdelb at 9:22 PM on February 7, 2010
killdevil: The bacteria getting eaten sorta look like diplococci - microbiology-speak for paired-up round bacterial cells. If the big phagocyte is a human PMN (polymorphonuclear leukocyte, AKA a neutrophil, our primary bacterial-gobbling shock troops), that'd make the bacterial cells likely to be either Neisseria (n. meningitides, a cause of meningitis, or n. gonorrhoeae, the cause of... guess what?) or Streptococcus pneumoniae. I'd say the latter option would be more likely.
The YouTube video includes a description. "It is a neutrophil chasing Staphylococcus aureus." Apparently the video was taken from a 16-mm film created in the 1950s by David Rogers, at Vanderbilt University.
posted by russilwvong at 9:55 PM on February 7, 2010
The YouTube video includes a description. "It is a neutrophil chasing Staphylococcus aureus." Apparently the video was taken from a 16-mm film created in the 1950s by David Rogers, at Vanderbilt University.
posted by russilwvong at 9:55 PM on February 7, 2010
Interesting. Staph are also round, but they're supposed to be clustered up like a bunch of grapes. Ah well, I was close.
posted by killdevil at 5:27 PM on February 8, 2010
posted by killdevil at 5:27 PM on February 8, 2010
« Older Acts of Contrition | Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:00 PM on February 6, 2010