On the cellular and biological level why did cowpox help our immune system to combat smallpox?
In: Biology
Cowpox is a weaker cousin of smallpox, and it’s similar enough that smallpox is treated the same way by the body if a person has already had cowpox.
Cowpox and Smallpox are cousins. They are descended from a common ancestor.
Because they are related, they are very genetically similar and the surface proteins on the viral particles of each disease (the proteins that the immune system targets) are practically identical.
Because they are so similar, antibodies that the immune system makes against Cowpox also attack Smallpox.
Latest Answers