MadSci Network: Immunology
Query:

Re: Why do we get a fever when we have an infection?

Date: Mon Sep 20 14:38:32 1999
Posted By: Mimi Mong, Medical Student, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Area of science: Immunology
ID: 936906549.Im
Message:

An animal must defend itself against unwelcome intruders; when bacteria, 
viruses or fungi invade the human body (causing an infection), the body 
will respond by activating cells in the immune system.  These cells are 
called white blood cells (or leukocytes), and their job is to fight 
infections in various ways one of which is to raise the body temperature 
(a fever).  The invading micro- organism and the toxin it produces can 
directly set the body's thermostat (a part of the brain called 
hypothalamus) at a higher temperature, or trigger the white blood cells to 
secret substances (such as interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor) that can 
set the body temperature higher.  Often, fever helps fight 
the infection because some micro- organisms don't grow very well in 
elevated body temperature. Temperature increase also facilitate the white 
blood cells to eat up the micro-organisms.


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