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The Treatment

A fade from black reveals a graceful, but busy, microscopic world. Here, a variety of cells are seen

elegantly flowing through a blood vessel in the body. As groups of blood cells pass by, the audience sees

a group of B cells slowly floating along the bottom of the blood vessel. Like a cat among the pigeons, a

lone bacteria cell passes through and brushes the group of B cells. One B cell, that contains an antibody

that matches this cell exactly, rises up and tags onto it. As they delicately flow together down the vein

the B cell connects itself softly but firmly to the bacteria and begins to engulf it along with the antibody

its attached to. As it engulfs the bacteria it slows to a stop and begins to break it down. As other cells

pass by, the B Cell begins to produce an MHC2 protein (Major Histocompatibility Complex), this

microscopic pedestal holds up a piece of the bacteria that the B cell absorbed. This is the moment when

this normal B cell becomes a professional antigen presenting cell and then fades to black.

Opening from black, the new antigen presenting cell is quietly waiting. However, a group of helper T

cells enter the vein and pass it by. One of these helper T cells has the receptors that match the bacteria

thats presented exactly and reaches for it. The T cell then binds to the protein and the bacteria using its

receptors which, in turn, activates the B Cell and sets off a chain of events.

The now activated B cell begins to proliferate two kinds of B cells. The first are the memory B cells, these

are exact replicas of this B cell with the same antibodies. The other is the matured B cell, now the

effector/plasma B cell, these are more fluid in appearance and produce multiples of the same

antibodies. These are free-flowing and unattached, allowing them to float into and attach to other

bacteria of this type. The free floating antibodies and the new memory B cells will glide off into the

blood stream. The plasma cell after it releases the antibodies will become weak and fade, in order to

indicate that the memory cells last much longer than the plasma B cells.

At the same time, the helper T cells are also proliferating two kinds of cells. The helper T cell emits small

protein molecules called cytokines which spread off into the blood and enter other cells in the immune

system, making them more active in their reproduction of memory T cells. The cytokines act as achemical alarm bell making sure the immune system is prepared for any invasion. Here the camera

zooms out to reveal a bigger scene, showing the audience that the same process is happening around

the cells they were focused on.

The Step Outline

It opens with multiple cells elegantly flowing through the body.

One bacteria cell brushes past a group of B Cells and one, with the correct antibodies, rises up after it.

It connects itself softly but firmly to the bacteria and begins to engulf it along with the antibody its

attached to.

As everything carries on passing by, the B Cell breaks the bacteria down and produces an MHC2 protein

(Major Histocompatibility Complex) which acts as a pedestal, upon it is a piece of the bacteria. Here the

B cell has become a professional antigen presenting cell.

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As it waits quietly, a group of helper T cells pass by and one, with the correct receptors to match the

bacteria, binds to the protein and bacteria using its receptors. This then activates the B Cell and sets off

a chain of events.

The activated B cell begins to proliferate two kinds of B cells. The first are the memory B cells, which are

more copies of that B cells same antibodies. The other is the effector/plasma B cells, which is the

matured form of the first B cell. This produces many of the same antibodies that are not attached to a

cell, allowing them to flow freely into any other bacteria of this type.

Meanwhile, the helper T cell also produces two kinds of cells. It first releases small protein molecules

called cytokines which act as a chemical alarm bell. These cytokines spread off into the blood to enter

other cells in the immune system, making them more active in their reproduction of Memory T cells,

which similarly to that of the B cell, produce more of the same kind of T cell,.

Here the camera pans out to reveal more of the same process happening around the cells the audience

was focused on.

The Premise

The chain of events that occur in order for the body to create antibodies.

The Logline

An example of the creation of antibodies through a B cells interaction with unsuspecting bacteria it

matches. The helper T cells activate the B cell and they both encourage the production of many more ofthe same cells in the immune system to defend the body from this antigen.