OW! You know how much an earache can hurt. But did you know that it's the start of a battle? The pain is a signal that your body is working to fight off the germs that are attacking the cells in your ear. These infected cells send out an alarm that calls your body to action. Blood vessels open wide to bring extra food and oxygen to the area. Specialized white blood cells arrive on the scene to kill the invaders. It is a major battle, one that your body has an excellent chance of winning all on its own. Get a close look at this body battle with comic illustrations and ground-breaking photomicrographs. The photomicrographs magnify the actual cellular processes tens of thousands of times, offering you a front-row seat for all the action.