Defence Mechanisms of the Body

M icrobiology
BSN Semester: I
Unit:07
Part: I

Shah Faisal Afridi

Lecturer
IHS-KMU
Lecture Overview
 Introduction

• From the months spent in the womb to the end of life, every individual
is under constant attack from an enormous range of potentially harmful
invaders.

• These threats include such diverse entities as bacteria, viruses, cancer

cells, parasites and foreign (non-self) cells, e.g. in tissue transplant.

• The body has therefore developed a wide selection of protective

measures against the invaders.
 Common Definitions

• Resistance: The ability of the body to resist against invaders and

protect the body from getting damage.

• Susceptibility: The meaning of SUSCEPTIBILITY is the quality or

state of being susceptible; especially : lack of ability to resist some
extraneous agents like microbes. Or lack of resistance is called
susceptibility.
 Common Definitions

• Non Specific resistance: Non specific resistance is the defense of our

body from any kinds of the pathogens. It includes skin and mucous
membrane, phagocytosis, inflammation, fever, production of
antimicrobial substances.

• Specific resistance: the ability of the body to defend itself against

specific invading agents such as bacteria, toxins, viruses and foreign
tissues.
 Common Definitions

• Innate resistance: The inherited or by birth ability of the body to

resists against invaders such as bacteria virus, foreign body cells etc.

• Immunity: Immunity is defined as the body's ability to protect itself

from an infectious disease. When you are immune to a disease, your
immune system can fight off infection from it.
 Common Definitions

• Antigens: Any substance that causes the body to make an immune

response against that substance. Antigens include toxins, chemicals,
bacteria, viruses, or other substances that come from outside the body.

• Antibody: An antibody is a protein produced by the body's immune

system when it detects harmful substances, called antigens.
Non-specific vs Specific defence mechanism
Line of defences
Line of defences
Line of defences
 Non-specific resistance

These are the general defense; they prevent entry and minimize further passage of
microbes and other foreign material into the body. Also destroy pathogens inside
the body by various mechanisms.
There are five main non-specific defense mechanisms:
• Defense at body surfaces (1st line of defenses)
• Phagocytosis
• Natural antimicrobial substances (2nd line of defenses)
• The inflammatory response
• Immunological surveillance. (3rd line of defenses)
 Non-specific resistance
Defense at body surfaces:

•Healthy, intact skin and mucous membranes provide an efficient physical barrier
protecting the body’s exposed surfaces.

•Sebum and sweat secreted onto the skin surface contain antibacterial and antifungal
substances.

•Epithelial membranes lining body cavities and passageways exposed to the external
environment. Epithelia produce antibacterial secretions, often acidic, containing
antibodies and enzymes, as well as sticky mucus for trapping passing microbes.
 Non-specific resistance
Defense at body surfaces:

•Hairs in the nose act as a coarse filter, and the sweeping action of cilia in the
respiratory tract moves mucus and inhaled foreign materials towards the throat. Then
it is coughed up (expectorated) or swallowed.

•The one-way flow of urine from the bladder minimizes the risk of infection
ascending through the urethra into the bladder.

•In the female, the acidity of vaginal secretions discourages microbial growth.
 Non-specific resistance

Phagocytosis:

•Also Known as the process of cell eating.

•Phagocytic defense cells such as macrophages and neutrophils are the

body’s first line of cellular defense.

•They actively migrate to sites of inflammation and infection.

•Phagocytes attack and engulf their targets.

•They digest and destroy foreign cells, damaged body cells and debris.
•Macrophage stimulate T-lymphocytes and activate the immune responses.
 Non-specific resistance

Phagocytosis:
 Non-specific resistance
Natural antimicrobial substances:
• Hydrochloric acid: Found in stomach------Kill majority of the ingested microbes

• Lysozyme: Found in saliva, tears and other body secretions— destroy bacterial C-wall.

• Saliva: Produced by salivary glands– contain antibodies and lysozyme– prevent dental decaying by
disrupting microbes and washing mouth,
• Interferon: These are chemicals produced by T-lymphocytes, macrophages and other body cells
invaded by viruses--- prevent viral replication within infected cells & the spread of virus to healthy
cells.
• Microbial Antagonism: one microorganism kill or inhibit the growth of another microorganism
 Non-specific resistance
The inflammatory response:

•This is the physiological response to tissue damage and is accompanied by a

characteristic series of local changes.

•Its purpose is protective: to isolate, inactivate and remove both the causative agent and
damaged tissue, so that healing can take place.

•The cardinal signs of inflammation are redness, heat, swelling and pain.

•Inflammatory conditions are recognized by their Latin suffix ‘-itis’; for example,
appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix and laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx.
 Non-specific resistance

Immunological surveillance:

•A population of lymphocytes, called natural killer (NK) cells, constantly patrol the
body searching for abnormal cells.

•Cells that have been infected with a virus, or mutated cells that might become
malignant, frequently display unusual markers on their cell membranes, which are
recognized by NK cells.

•Having detected an abnormal cell, the NK cell immediately kills it.

 Specific resistance ( Acquired Immunity)

Specific resistance:

•the ability of the body to defend itself against specific invading agents such as
bacteria, toxins, viruses and foreign tissues.

Immunity:

•Immunity is a biological term that describe a state of having sufficient biological

defenses to avoid infections, diseases, or other biological invasions.

•The ability of the body to resists harmful microbes from entering the body.
Types of immunity
 Types of immunity

Innate Immunity ( Non-specific):

•Natural resistance or by birth resistance.

•It include the roles of:

• Physical Barriers: eg. Skin & Mucus membranes

• Cellular system: eg. Phagocytes like macrophage

• Circulating proteins and enzymes: eg. immunoglobulin, Lysozyme

• Antimicrobial substances: eg. interferon, HCL, Bile vaginal discharge, saliva, tears

• Microbial Antagonism: eg. Normal Flora

• Inflammatory responses: eg fever, pain, swelling, heat

Innate immunity
 Types of immunity

Adaptive or acquired Immunity (specific):

•It develops gradually through a person’s lifetime. When exposed to a disease or

when immunized against it with the vaccine, our body develops adaptive immunity. It
can be sub-divided by how the immunity was acquired:

•Sub-divided into two classes:

Naturally acquired ACTIVE immunity

1.Natural acquired immunity Naturally acquired PASSIVE immunity

2.Artificial acquired immunity Artificially acquired ACTIVE immunity

Artificially acquired PASSIVE immunity

Types of immunity

Naturally acquired ACTIVE immunity

Naturally acquired PASSIVE immunity

Artificially acquired ACTIVE immunity

Artificially acquired PASSIVE immunity

 Humoral Immunity
• Humoral immune is a response immunity
that is mediated through antibodies. It is the
core defense mechanism against
extracellular microbes. It responds to
pathogens quickly.

• It triggers the B cells to produce antibodies

that bind with foreign antigen then
neutralized them through phagocytosis.
 Cell mediated immunity

• Cell-mediated immunity is the immune response that identifies and

destroys infected cells to prevent the spread of viruses or bacteria.

• The immune response trigger development of T cells which are released

into the thymus and circulate between the peripheral lymphoid tissue and
the blood.

• The process helps to identify foreign antigens and get rid of them
immediately. The immune response it quite stronger than humoral
immune.
Cell mediated immunity
CMR & AMR
 Humoral vs CMI
Basic Terms Humoral Immunity Cell-mediated Immunity
Onset Rapid Delay
Differentiation of plasma B cells and
Activation Secretion of cytokines
secretion of antibodies
B-cells which are generated and mature T-cells generated in the bone marrow
Main cells
in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus

Pathogens Protect against extracellular pathogens Protect against intracellular pathogens

Meaning Antibodies are formed Antibodies are not formed

Antigen Detection Antibodies Receptors
Examples of cells Only TH cells CD4+ and CD8+ cells
Cancer cells Cannot be eliminated Can easily be eliminated

Rejection Involve in early graft rejection Participate in organ transplant rejection

It protects against extracellular bacterial It protects against intracellular bacterial

Core function
and viral pathogens. and viral pathogens.
Difference b/w Humoral & CMI
Antigen
Antigen
Antibodies
Y- Shape of antibody
Y-shape of antibody
How antibodies bind to an antigen
 Types of antibodies

IKS, The Health Care Institute of Nursing Peshawar

Functions of Antibodies
 HYPERSENSITIVITY

Hypersensitivity will be discussed in a separate lecture.