If you catch a cold, which component of blood do you rely on to help attack the virus that has invaded your blood stream?
When you catch a cold and a virus invades your bloodstream, the component of blood that primarily helps attack the virus is the white blood cells. White blood cells, also known as leukocytes, are a critical part of the immune system and play a major role in defending the body against infections. Specifically, there are several types of white blood cells involved in the immune response to viruses, such as lymphocytes (including B cells and T cells) and phagocytes (including neutrophils and macrophages).
Lymphocytes produce antibodies that recognize and bind to specific parts of the virus, marking it for destruction or neutralization by other immune cells. They also play a role in triggering a more robust immune response. Phagocytes engulf and digest foreign particles, including viruses, to eliminate them from the body. These different types of white blood cells work together to recognize, attack, and eliminate the virus that has invaded the bloodstream and protect the body from further infection.