When T cells bind to viral antigens presented by macrophages they undergo mitosis to form 4 distinct cell variants:
Memory T cells- remain in the blood stream to initiate a faster immune response upon re-exposure to specific antigen by rapidly undergoing mitosis to increase numbers of antigen-specific T cells.
Helper T cell- trigger large scale specific immune response by releasing cytokines (chemical messengers) to stimulate the maturation of B cells to produce specific antibodies, the formation of memory B cells to create long term immunity and the activation of phagoctyes and cytotoxic T cells.
Cytotoxic T cells- recognise and destroy infected cells to prevent further production and release of viral particles.
Suppressor T cells- when viral load has been lowered through successful immune response, suppressor T cells end the large-scale immune response to prevent the wastage of protein resources.