Immune System

• The immune system is the body’s

defense specialist.
• It is composed of special cells,
proteins, tissues, and organs that
protect the body from potential
dangers of foreign bodies, thus
keeping the body healthy and free
from infections.
• The collective and coordinated
process performed by immune system
upon the introduction of a foreign
substance is called immune response.
• Immunity refers to the protection
• Subsystem:
1. Innate immune system
2. Adaptive immune system
Innate Immune System
• The first line of defense
• Consists of a surface barrier and
internal structures that employ physical
and biochemical strategies to get rid of
many microorganisms before they can
invade body tissues.
• Defends the body against pathogens
and chemicals in a nonspecific or
stereotypic manner, and it does not
confer long-lasting immunity.
• Involves physical and chemical
barriers on the surface of tissues and
organs (skin, mucus, saliva, etc), the
process of inflammation, complement
proteins, and specialized immune
cells.
• The successful invasion of a
pathogenic organism inside the body
is called infection.
•
The Second Line of Defense
• The second line of defense is
activated.
• The body will mount a cellular
counteract using certain cells and
chemicals to kill invaders.
• Also known as the other circulatory
system, the lymphatic system, aside
from collecting and recycling fluids
that leaked from the circulatoryb
system, it also plays a major role in
fighting bacterial and viral infections.
• The lymphatic system consists of a
network of lymphatic vessels and
organs, nodes, and tiny bean
structures called lymph nodes, which
store cells used in immune response.
• White Blood Cells (Second line of defense)
1. Macrophages
2. Neutrophils
3. NK cells
4. Dendritic
5. Eosinophils
6. Basophils
7. Mast cells
8. Lymphocytes
Infection triggers an inflammatory response
Adaptive Immune System
• Third line of defense
• Takes days or even weeks to become
established.
• More specific to an invading pathogen
• Three groups of cells are involved in specific
immune response- macrophages and two types
of lymphocytes ( T-cells and B-cells)
• T cells help in the cellular immunity or
cell-mediated response
• B cells direct antibody immunity or humoral
immune response
• Antibodies
Specialized proteins that circulate in blood
plasma and lymph.
There are three mechanisms by which
antibodies inhibit infection:
1. Neutralization
2. Opsonization
3. Complement activation
 • There are 5 general types of antibodies:
1. IgA
2. IgD
3. IgE
4. IgG
5. IgM
 • Antigen
Elicits immune response
any substance that causes your immune
system to produce antibodies against it. This
means your immune system does not recognize
the substance, and is trying to fight it off.