Structure and Function of Animals

The Immune System

The immune system is responsible for keeping foreign invaders out of the body and
destroying those entities that do manage to invade the tissues. Immune system
defenses can be either passive or active. Passive defenses are physical barriers that
prevent microorganisms from entering the body. Skin is the most obvious example. The
sticky mucus lining the respiratory tract and stomach acid, which kills many
microorganisms that might otherwise enter through the digestive system, are other
examples of passive defenses.
The active defenses of the immune system are primarily made up of white blood cells.
There are two classes of white blood cells: phagocytes and lymphocytes.
Phagocytes resemble amoebas and can crawl through the bodys tissues ingesting any
foreign invaders they come upon. Lymphocytes are more specific in the invaders they
target. There are three general types of lymphocytes:
1. B cells identify pathogens by producing antibodies that recognize the protein
coats of specific viruses or bacteria.
2. Helper T cells coordinate the immune response by activating other immune
system cells.
3. Killer T cells kill infected cells.