I am not even sure how to search for an answer on that question—tried a simple search but results seemed off topic.
The question is prompted from two rather different observations. Long ago I read an article suggesting trees “talked”. The sense in which they talk was chemical signals. Trees that were infested with some disease or parasite produces chemicals that were then picked up by nearby trees. The other trees then started producing the defense response to the threat infecting the other tree.
A recent story (via MR) suggests 10% of Boston has the antibodies. So one might take that to mean 10% of Boston was already infected. But the same study says only 1 in 40 are currently infected. These two statistic may be fully inline with antibodies = infection and we just have a lot of asymptomatic people.
However, what if human immune system have some response elements similar to the tress and we respond to signals from others being infected as well as the infection itself?
Anyone know if that is just a crazy thought or not?
[Question] Do any mammal species exhibit an immune response in some of the herd in response to the infection in other herd members?
I am not even sure how to search for an answer on that question—tried a simple search but results seemed off topic.
The question is prompted from two rather different observations. Long ago I read an article suggesting trees “talked”. The sense in which they talk was chemical signals. Trees that were infested with some disease or parasite produces chemicals that were then picked up by nearby trees. The other trees then started producing the defense response to the threat infecting the other tree.
A recent story (via MR) suggests 10% of Boston has the antibodies. So one might take that to mean 10% of Boston was already infected. But the same study says only 1 in 40 are currently infected. These two statistic may be fully inline with antibodies = infection and we just have a lot of asymptomatic people.
However, what if human immune system have some response elements similar to the tress and we respond to signals from others being infected as well as the infection itself?
Anyone know if that is just a crazy thought or not?