Final answer:
Cytotoxic T cells destroy unhealthy cells, including those infected with viruses, through antigen recognition and the release of perforin and granzymes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cytotoxic T cells are a type of immune cell that destroy unhealthy cells, including those infected with viruses. They recognize infected cells through antigen presentation, where the infected cell displays pathogen-specific epitopes on its surface. Once recognized, the cytotoxic T cell binds to the epitope and releases perforin and granzymes, which create pores in the target cell and induce controlled cell death, or apoptosis. This mechanism ensures the infected cell is destroyed without releasing the viruses inside to infect neighboring cells.