Essay about The Functions of the Immune System

The immune system is made up of several types of cells that work together to fight infections. Lymph cells (called lymphocytes) are the main type of cell in the adaptive immune system. There are 2 types of lymph cells: T cells and B cells. When B cells respond to an infection, they change into plasma cells. The plasma cells are found mainly in the bone marrow—the soft, inner part of some bones. The plasma cells

The immune system depends on the body’s structures to help it function. For instance, the skin acts as the “body’s first line of defense.” If a pathogen finds a breach in the skin barrier, it is the circulatory system that must now signal the immune system of the invader. Shortly after, white blood cells will be notified of the infection and will target and destroy the pathogen.

The main function of the immune system is to protect the body from infectious agents such as viruses and other toxins. The immune system can fail us in two ways-either by becoming under-vigilant, letting infections enter the body, or over-vigilant, so that it is the immune system itself, rather than an infectious agent that causes illness.

Through a series of steps called the immune response, the body’s immune system attacks invading disease-causing organisms and substances. The cells involved in this immune response are called leukocytes. Leukocytes are produced and stored in the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow (lymphoid organs). There is also lymphoid tissue throughout the body that houses leukocytes (lymph nodes). The leukocytes circulate through the body between the organs and nodes via lymphatic vessels and blood vessels.

The organs that make up the lymphatic and immune system are the tonsils, spleen, thymus gland, lymph nodes, and lymphatic vessels. White blood cells (leukocytes), red blood cells (erythrocytes), plasma, and platelets (thrombocytes) make up the blood. Lymphocytes are leukocytes (white blood cells) that help the body fight off diseases. Two types of lymphocytes are B cells and T cells. Lymphocytes recognize antigens, or foreign substances/matter, in the body. Lymphocytes are a classification of agranulocytes, or cells (-cytes) without (a-) granules (granul/o) in the cytoplasm. B cells are created from stem cells, which are located in the bone marrow. B cells respond to antigens by becoming plasma cells. These plasma cells then create antibodies. Memory B cells produce a stronger response with the next exposure to the antigen. B cells fight off infection and bacteria while T cells defend against viruses and cancer cells. A hormone created by the thymus gland called thymosin changes lymphocytes into T cells. The thymus gland is active when you are a child and slowly shrinks, as you get older. T cells bind to the antigens on the cells and directly attack them. T cells secrete lymphokines that increase T cell production and directly kill cells with antigens. There are three types of T cells: cytotoxic T cells, helper T cells, and memory T cells.

The immune systems helps the body fight off the other parts of our bodies and harmful substances such as disease, infection or bacteria. Some strategies for ensuring a healthy immune system are: don’t smoke, move your body which mean exercise regularly, eat diet food such as fruit and vegetable, get a good night sleep and maintain your healthy weight. These strategies are a good way to start giving your immune system the upper hand.

Describe the immune response and the cells and structures that participate in it. Pay special attention to the different types of white blood cells as well as the structures involved. (At least 500 words.)

The immune system consists of a defense system that guards the body against invasion from infections and other diseases. Normally, a healthy person's immune system has the capability to differentiate between its own cells and cells that represent threats to the health of the body. (Craft and Kanter, 2002). Autoimmune disease refers to a broad range of over 80 acute, long-lasting diseases that affect nearly every organ in the body. (Wrong Diagnosis.com, 2000).

When something unknown enters the body, there is a response within the immune system. This system is the chemical defense against infections that disrupt dynamic homeostasis. As a pathogen enters the body, sensors gather data about this unknown pathogen, the control center receives this data and relays a message and the communication system delivers the message. These defenses of the immune system can be characterized as specific and non-specific, meaning that when there is a specific response, the system only targets a small number of pathogens whereas non-specific responses target many.

Your natural immune system relies on an army of defenders. These guards are made up of various kinds of white blood cells. They include:

The body has two immune systems: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.

The adaptive immune response is antigen-specific and requires the recognition of specific “non-self” antigens during a process called antigen presentation. Antigen specificity allows for the generation of responses that are tailored to specific pathogens or pathogen-infected cells. The ability to mount these tailored responses is maintained in the body by "memory cells". Should a pathogen infect the body more than once, these specific memory cells are used to quickly eliminate it. so basically killer T cells will identify antigens present on foreign cells. These antigens are not found in any of the cells inside our body. So T cells will identify them and kill them.

It differs from these organs, however, in having a wide variety of components dispersed throughout the body and circulating in the blood. To mount an immune response, these various components must communicate and interact in a precisely orchestrated and organised way. One component with a pivotal role in

Have you ever wondered how your body works? Did you ever think about how your body defends itself from outside invaders? Remember the last time you were sick. Did you know how your body fought and killed the sickness? All these questions can be answered by learning about one of the most important systems in your body, the immune system.

Our immune system is the second most complex system in our body. It is made up of organs, cells and proteins that work together to protect our bodies from harmful bacteria, viruses or other microorganisms that can cause diseases. Usually we don’t notice our immune system defending us against pathogens, but if the pathogen (harmful microorganism) is aggressive or if our body hasn’t ever come into contact with it, we can get sick. The jobs of our immune system are to recognise pathogens, as well as neutralise and remove them from our body. Our immune system also has to fight our own cells if they have changed due to an illness, for example, cancer. (1)