An appropriate image of immune networks would be the foraging and swarming of ants, each moving about, with different job descriptions in the colony and a meta order achieved by the collective behavior of many individuals. The overall activity of the hive or colony decides how the society or system looks and acts. They have the property of getting excited, recruiting their peers and attacking interlopers. The Cells of Immune Networks Immune cells circulating in the blood are collectively referred to as white blood cells. WBC groups include lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and monocytes.
Some cells identify the characteristic molecular shape of an antigen and respond by proliferation.
A virus, for example, will have protein identifiers stuck to its capsule which mark it, much like an ID badge. Several cell populations will emerge when the virus is present to identify and combat it. One cell group manufactures antibody, a protein specific to one antigen. Molecules in the food supply, especially proteins, act as antigens. Food additives and contaminants may increase the probability of allergic reactions to food.