Every team needs a coach. Helper T cells are the coaches of your immune system. They send signals that tell other defender cells when and how to fight.
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Helper T cells are a kind of white blood cell. They are small and round, with a big nucleus that fills most of the cell.
They are made in your bone marrow. Then they travel to the thymus, a small organ in your chest, to finish growing up. That's where the "T" comes from!
Scientists also call them CD4 cells, after a special tag on their outside.
Helper T cells don't fight germs by themselves. When they learn about a germ, they send out signals:
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Signal the B cell and Signal the killer T cell.
Without helper T cells, the rest of the immune system has a much harder time fighting germs. They really are the coaches!
By Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. Good for older kids.
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