Posted by By Sophie Schilling
Objective: The Immune System
In the following, you will find a re-written songtext from an animation series called Arcane. In one of my past classes, I had to master a similar task and had a lot of fun. Not only the aspect of creativity but also the effect of better memorizing the class information (through the work with the lyrics) about the objective made me really enjoy this second steam project. Associating the immune system with the lyrics of the song and bringing them in order to make sense of it was challenging and amusing. I chose the immune system unit because the content of the song and the content of that unit clearly matched my envision. I have implemented information from the innate and adaptive immune system. I hope you enjoy reading and singing along!
Enemy – The fight of WBC
I would suggest listening to the song first in normal version and then read the lyrics to a slowed version for the rap part of the song to be able to sing along 😉
Original (with lyrics): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHB1Ikzfpmc
Slowed version: http://Slowed version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuAJnd1btao
Look out for myself!
I move through the tissue, by motion and chemotaxis
For my human to be safe, with my ear up to the space
I’m searching to protect, the body that I serve
With my friends the agranulocytes and granulocytes
Tell them we’re the strongest
So once they come, they’ll hate us
Oh, the misery
Pathogens want to be my enemy
Start Phago-cytosis!
Everybody wants to be my enemy-y-y-y-y
(Look out for yourself)
My enemy-y-y-y-y (Look, look, look, look)
(Look out for yourself)
But I’m ready
recognized by phagocytes – as you’re prayin’ not to fall
And the laughter in the veins, when Killer T cells destroy you
I stack it in my mind, and I’m waiting for the time
When adaptive defenses are waiting for you
Tell them we’re the strongest
So once they come, they’ll hate us (Ha)
Oh, the misery
Pathogens wants to be my enemy
Start Phago-cytosis!
Everybody wants to be my enemy-y-y-y-y (Look, look, look, look)
(Look out for yourself)
My enemy-y-y-y-y (Look, look, look, look; yeah)
(Look out for yourself)
Uh, look, okay
Okay, I’m hoping that somebody pray for me
First and Second barrier: provide help for me
Rhinoviruses, Pneumococci, or harmless p-p-particles?
Being a wreck of emotions
Ready to go whenever, just let me know
The fight is long, so call the phagocytes into tissues
The enemy on my trail, my energy always available
I’ma tell ’em, “Hasta luego”
They wanna see me dying, “RIP leukocytes”
I been outta shape, thinkin’ I need help, producing antibodies
To bind temporarily on the target cell
And it matters more because if I wouldn’t call
It would’ve brought a wreaking havoc
On an opposition, kinda shockin’ they wanted static
With precision, I’m automatic quarterback
I ain’t talkin’ sackin’, pack it
Pack it up, I don’t panic, batter-batter up
Who the baddest? It don’t matter ’cause we at your throat
Everybody wants to be our enemy
Spare the sympathy (Ah)
Everybody wants to be our enemy
Oh, the misery (Ah)
Everybody wants to be our enemy
Spare the sympathy (Ah)
Everybody wants to be our enemy
Pray it away, I swear I’ll never be a saint, no way
My enemy
Pray it away, I swear I’ll never be a saint
(Look out for yourself)
This project aims to explain the immune system and the function of leukocytes in a digestible way. By presenting this in the form of a parody of a popular song, it can help people learn more intuitively through engagement. The lyrics themselves are about the different functions and steps that take place for the immune system in the context of recognizing and eliminating pathogens. For example, the functions of humoral and cellular mediated immunity, antibody production and specificity, and examples of pathogens are described. Overall, this helps to introduce and integrate the functions of the immune system in a fun and interesting way.