Immune system

Immunity

 -Is defined as resistance to diseases

specifically infectious diseases.
 immune system

 it is the network of cells, tissues and organs

that work together to mediate the resistance
of infections.
 The most important characteristic of the
immune system that can distinguish self from
non self antigens.
 The coordinated reaction of these cells and
molecules (immune system) against
infectious microbe is called immune
response.
Types of immune response
Innate immunity
 -Innate immunity is the natural immunity
present in all healthy individuals, even in
the multicellular organisms.

 - It borns with child to prevent the entrance

of the microbes.
-It is rapid and less specific than the adaptive
immunity.
Component of innate
immune system
 1-Physical (Epithelial ) barriers.
2- Chemical barriers.
3- Cellular (phagocytic) barriers.
4- Cytokines.
5- Plasma proteins.
6- Complement system.
 (1) Physical barriers
 They are the:-
1- Skin.
2- Mucus membranes of the
gastrointestinal tract.
3- Ciliated epithelia in the respiratory
tract.
 They are the main sites for entry of

pathogens.
-They form physical barriers by their
continuous epithelia.
 (2) Chemical barriers

 They are body secretions:-

1- sweat, sebesious.
2-GIT secretions: saliva, mucous,
gastric acid secretions.
3- secretions of polypeptides that act
as antibiotics.
4- Tears.
 (3) Cellular barrier

 -Formedby:-
1-Neutrophils.
2- macrophages.
3- NK-cells (Natural killer cells).
Neutrophils
 -They are the most abundant (40% to
75%) type of white blood cells and
form an essential part of the innate
immune system.
 -They are short-lived and highly
motile.
-Neutrophils are a type of
phagocytes.
-Normally, neutrophils contain a
divided nucleus into 2–5 lobes, but
when found more than 5 is a
pathologically
 They are the first-responders to
inflammation, that migrate towards
the site of inflammation within
minutes.
- They are the hallmark of acute
inflammation.
 They migrate through the blood
vessels, then through interstitial
tissue, following chemical signals such
as Interleukin-8 (IL-8), and C5a, in a
process called chemo taxis
 Neutrophilsfight the infection by
engluf microbes and releasing
enzymes that kill the microorganisms.
(phagocytosis)
Monocytes (macrophages)
 -Monocytes are the largest cell of all
leukocytes.
-They constitute 2- 10% of all
leukocytes.
-they are phagocytic cells.
- They are amoeboid in shape, having
agranulated cytoplasm and unilobar
nuclei(mononuclear leukocytes).
- They play multiple roles in immune
function.
-They are important part of the innate
immune system.
- Half of them are stored as a reserve
in the spleen.
 -In response to inflammatory signals,
monocytes can move quickly (approx.
8–12 hours) to sites of infection in the
tissues and divide/differentiate into
macrophages and dendritic cells to
elicit an immune response.
 -Monocytes which migrate from the
bloodstream to other tissues will then
differentiate into tissue macrophages
or denderitic cell.
- Macrophages are responsible for
protecting tissues from foreign
substances.
 -Monocytes: inside the vesscles.
-macrophage: monocytes in the
tissues.
-kuffer cell in the liver.
-macroglaial in the brain .
-Oseoclast in the bone.
-denderitic cells in the skin.
(presenting cell).
 Monocytes ,macrophage and
dendritic-cell have three main
functions in the immune system:-
1-phagocytosis,
2- antigen presentation to the
lymphocytes.
3-cytokine production.
Phagocytosis
*Other function of MQ is to
secret the cytokines which
important in both adaptive and
innate immunity.
 NK cell

 -are type of lymphocytes belong to

the innate immunity.
-They react against the virally infected
cells and tumor cells.
 When are activated they response in 2
ways:-
1-killing the infected or altered cell by
enzymes that change the permeability
of cell and induce the apoptosis.
 2- after activation Nk cells produce

and secret IF-gamma which in turn

activate more MQs ……..
 (4) Cytokines

 -Aresoluble proteins used in the cells

communications.
-Important in the immune and
inflammatory response
 (5) Plasma proteins

 othergroup of plasma proteins that

are not complement or cytokines are
involved in the innate immunity.
-are called the acute phase reactant.
 (1)C-reactive protein.
(2)surfactant proteins protect the air
ways from infections.
(4) ferritin.
Innate immunity play an
important role in activation of
adaptive immunity.
1-cells of innate immunity act
as APC for the lymphocytes.
2- cytokines.
3- comlement.