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I can't believe that Jacob actually kicked you out of the treehouse.

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He may be healthy, but he has cabin fever really bad.

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I'm just glad Dr. Ziliacs agreed to meet with us at our office.

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Hi, you must be Dr. Ziliacs. We're the treehouse detectives.

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Hello. Glad you could come. I hear you need to learn more about the immune system.

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Yes. We're trying to figure out how to help Jacob stay well.

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What exactly is the immune system?

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The immune system is a body-wide coordinated group of cells that help protect you against serious infection.

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These cells act like an army to help defend us against attack from dangerous germ invaders.

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Where are these cells located?

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Well, with most body systems, there's a large part that you can point to, like your brain or your heart or your lungs.

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But with the immune system, it's not found in just one place.

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These cells travel throughout your body.

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So how does the immune system work?

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Well, the immune system's made up of lots of different small cells.

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These cells have some funny names, like neutrophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes.

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Those are funny names. What do they mean?

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Well, those are actually Greek and Latin names that describe what these cells look like under the microscope.

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Why does your body have more than one kind of cell to fight off infection?

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Well, just like an army has different kinds of soldiers, each of these cells has their own special job.

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They cruise around quietly through your bloodstream, waiting to get a call into action.

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When an infection occurs, they swarm in at the site of the infection, ready to defend you against the germ.

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The cells sound like they are really important in helping our body fight off infections and diseases.

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Is there any way that you could strengthen your immune system to make it work better?

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There are things you can do to keep your immune system strong and healthy.

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You need to certainly eat right and get plenty of sleep and exercise.

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Is there anything else you can do?

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Well, there is another trick to keep your immune system smart and strong,

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and that's to get all the immunizations that the doctors give you when you're young.

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What is an immunization?

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Well, immunizations are also called vaccines.

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They're either weakened forms of the germ or germ parts that help protect us against dangerous infectious diseases.

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How do they work?

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Well, when a vaccine enters the body, it shows your immune system important parts of the germ,

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and that allows your immune system to create specialized proteins called antibodies.

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If the vaccine puts germs in our bodies, why don't we get sick?

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Well, it's just enough germ exposure to help us build antibodies, not enough to actually have you get sick.

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Then later, when that germ tries to enter your body,

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there's lots of good stockpiled antibodies available to fend off infection from that particular germ.

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Can you get immunized for all illnesses?

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Well, no, not every infection can be prevented in this way.

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First, scientists have to learn an awful lot about the germ and exactly how it's built

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to be able to make a vaccine that coaxes your immune system into making the right antibodies.

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I wish they had a vaccine for the common cold.

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Well, I do too, but with a cold, it's just you and your immune system battling it out against the cold germ.

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So for now, to avoid colds, it's best to do everything you can to keep your immune system as healthy as possible.

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That's right. You need to rest, eat right, and sleep.

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I think Jacob needs to rethink his quarantine idea.

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Thanks, Dr. Ziliacs. You've been a lot of help.

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You're welcome. Call if you have any other questions.

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Bye.

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Bye.