In our immune system, how do the cells (whichever ones are appropriate) recognize and store the information of previous pathogens, and where in the body is that information stored?

Question

Follow up: Does that information deteriorate or do these cells ‘forget’?

Edit: If you’re able to answer the question, but can’t ELI5, then maybe explain in a way that a lay-person would understand i.e. not jargon-heavy.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Not an ELI5 but if you want some more detailed explanation of specific mechanisms check these out.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatic_hypermutation

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_maturation#:~:text=In%20immunology%2C%20affinity%20maturation%20is,antibodies%20of%20successively%20greater%20affinities.