antibodies are like harpoons or missiles

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Categories: Comparisons

An example of a simle used to explain science:

"The B cell is a cell that eventually becomes a plasma cell which secretes antibodies. Antibodies, they are like harpoons or missiles which the cell sends out to kill a pathogen…

Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee

Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee (medical oncologist at Columbia University) was spealking on an episode ('Building the Body, Opening the Heart') of BBC Radio 4's 'Start the week' programme/podcast.

Read: Cells are buzzing cities that are balloons with harpoons

[Please be aware that a word may have different nuances, or even a different meaning, according to context.]« Back to Index

Author: Keith

Former school and college science teacher, teacher educator, research supervisor, and research methods lecturer. Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.