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Category: bird

T-lymphocytes recognise a foreign substance, an antigen, on the surface of foreign or infected cells. When the T-lymphocyte and antigen connect, the T-cell releases substances that kill the cell. On a virus-infected host cell, the antigen is made up of an MHC molecule and attendant virus protein.

Do migratory birds have a better immune system?

Is the immune system of small birds better than that of humans and other mammals? And if so, why? One idea is that small birds have a particularly good immune system because of seasonal migration, which means having to resist many different diseases at breeding, stopover and wintering sites. Is...