Immune System Timeline

  • Step 1:

    Step 1:
    A person eats an allergen, or something that causes an allergic reaction for the first time
  • Step 2:

    When the person eats the allergen the body creates an antibody or a protein that detects harmful substances
  • Step 3:

    This antibody attatches itself to cells found in tissues all over the body in order to prepare the body for if that allergen enters the body again
  • Step 4:

    When the food allergen enters the body again, the allergen binds to the antibodies and sends out signals to the body to release large amounts of histamine
  • Step 5:

    The histamine causes irritation and swelling in parts of the body
  • Step 6:

    The result of this irritation varies in person to person, from mild hives, shortness of breath, to anaphylaxis