Immune+System

The Immune system is a biological system that is used to prevent the enter of bacteria, viruses, fungi, infection or basically anything that can cause problems to our body. All those things, all the viruses, fungi, bacteria in general are called [|Pathogens](Nowicky, 941, 945). Despite the fact that virus and bacteria are both Pathogen that can be harmful to our body, they have many differences. Firstly, Virus is a non living thing with a protein cell membrane and they can only reproduce when they posessed a human cell while harmful bacteria can produce on its own in the right environment. The Immune system also have different ways to treat bacteria or virus. When it come to bacteria, the body will response as inflammation, while countering virus, the body will develop fever(Nowicky, 950-951). One of the most important structure in the human Immune System is the[| integumentary system], which is the skin in our body. The skin have a crucial function as it is used as a barrier for all the pathogens to enter. These pathogens have a very dangerous connection to the body homeostasis since pathogens make the body feel sick, making the body unstable, which is unable to maintain homeostasis.

[|White Blood Cells] The Immune System have many way to defend against pathogens, like white blood cells and protein. White blood cells job is to track down and kill the pathogens that gone through our great barrier, the skin. When these nasty pathogens enter our body, different type of white blood cells will come after them and try to destroy them. When a pathogen is either a virus, bacteria or fungus, a different kind of white blood cell goes to work, called phagocyte, which is Greek for cell eater. Phagocyte job is to kill the pathogen by surrounding and engulfing them. After the pathogen is killed, the job of phagocyte is done and it went on to the next part of the whole system, the lymphocyte. The lymphocyte have 2 types, which is the T cells and the B cells. The T cells job is to destroy the damaged body cells that have been infected by the pathogens. The B cells produce the specific protein to neutralize or inactivate the pathogens that haven’t been infected any body cells. The T and B cells also have some cool special forces that the scientist would call them Memory cells. There job is to remember antigen that attack our bodies before, so when come second time, they can destroy the pathogens quicker. However, any kind of defense would be useless without the body ability to notice which one is our soldiers, which one is the enemies. In order to do this job, the body developed Antigen, the protein markers on the surface of cells and virus that help the immune system identify enemy or our soldier, in other words, Antigen can be some kind of costume for our cells to recognize each other(Nowicky 946)

[|Protein] Other than the white blood cells, the Immune System also uses protein to fight against the pathogens that coming into our bodies. The three types of proteins used are complement proteins, antibodies and interferon. Complement proteins are made by white blood cells and are used to weaken a pathogens cell membrane, in other words, trying to make the armor of the pathogens less powerful, they also allow water enter the cell, making it to burst. The second type of protein is Antibodies, which made by the great B cells. Antibodies destroy pathogens by simply bind the pathogen’s membrane protein, making it clump, making them easier for phagocytes to destroy, the antibodies can also activate complement proteins. Despite the two main function, the antibodies can do many other cool things like immobilize the pathogens and neutralizing the viral activity. The last protein for helping the pathogens war is the Interferon, they are proteins produce by infected body cells. Interferon as soon as released from the infected cells, they stimulate uninfected body cells to produce enzymes which prevent viruses from enter and infecting more cells. If viruses cannot enter healthy cells, they can’t reproduce, enough to see how important interferons are (Nowicky, 947).



= Passive and Active Immunity = There are two kind of immunity one can get. First is called passive immunity. This the the kind that occurs with the body immune system notice. Passive immunity can be transfer within generation by sharing DNA codes of mother and child. The other type is Active Immunity, the immunity in which the body produces a response toward the pathogen(Nowicky,948)

=Inflammation and Fever= There are many different ways in which a body can respond when they detect a present of pathogens and it can be non specific or specific. Examples of non specific responses are inflammation and fever. Inflammation are response from the human body that can be seen as swelling, redness, pain, intching and increased warmth at the affected site. It happens when a pathogen enters the body or body tissues is damaged. When body tissues is damaged, Inflammation happens for the pathogens to head off the body. And when a pathogen enter the cell, Inflammation release a kind of chemicals celled histamines. Histamines make the walls of the blood vessels to spread out so the white blood cells can move out of the capillary and move to the infection site and help fight off the pathogens, once pathogens are defeated, the tissues repair begins. Fever is a response from human immune system when mast cells or macrophages release chemicals that cause the hypothalamus to increase the body temperature. When body is under low fever, which is around 37.7 Celcius, it stimulate the production of interferons, which is protein prevent viruses from reproducing, they also increase the white blood cells. More white blood cells mean more soldier for fighting against pathogens. However, fevers is also a two sided blade. When fever reach more than 39 celcius, enzymes that control chemical reaction in body stop functioning, it can cause seizure, brain damage or death. So this is one of the risking strategy of the human immune system(Nowicky, 950-951)

Cellular and Humoral Immunity Other than the stated non specific response from our body, there are also specific response, they are Cellular Immunity and Humoral Immunity. Simply, Cellular Immunity is just when T cells attact to body cells and make them burst while Humoral Immunity use the antibodies to either inactivate them, make them clump or make them burst(Nowicky, 952-953) Transplant Rejection Despite the hardwork of the human immune system, like any other imperfect things, there are times that the immune system work too good that they even reject the tissues or organ since they detect protein markers on doner tissues. They make the antibodies against the doner tissues(Nowicky,954)

Vaccines There are different other ways for the Immune system can be helped from the outside. One of those ways are injecting vaccines. What vaccines is just simply killed or weakened the pathogens. When the vaccines enter the human bodies, the bodies produce more antibodies. The antibodies help the immune system to get stronger and kill the pathogens(Nowicky, 956) = [| HIV] = There are many different kind of diseases that can do big damage to the Immune System, one of the big names is HIV - the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. What HIV virus do is simply infect T cells, and when they do that, the T cells can’t get on alarm to other cells. If the body does not make new T cells fast, the immune system will be weaken (Nowicky, 962-963).  Works Cited An abscess on the skin, showing the redness and swelling characteristic of inflammation (presents as darkening in people with dark skin). Black rings of necrotic tissue surround central areas. Digital image. //Webster Online Dictionary// . Web. 16 May 2011. . //Antibodies// . Digital image. //Quality Health Guide// . Quality Health Guide. Web. 16 May 2011. . //A Macrophage Engaging in Phagocytosis of Multiple Bacteria.//  Digital image. //Http://www.odec.ca //. Online Digital Education Connection. Web. // //Murphy, Karen. //Fever //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Digital image. //Babble//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/tags/fever/default.aspx>. // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: -36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nowicki, Stephen. //McDougal Littell Biology//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2008. Print. // S. Aureus Bacteria//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Digital image. //NAID//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. US Department of Health. Web. 16 May 2011. // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: -36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zhantar. Human Against Pathogens. Digital image. //Http://www.thetempleofawakening.com//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The Temple of Awakening. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://www.thetempleofawakening.com/2011/03/vitamin-d-3-far-superior-for-preventing-influenza-than-vaccines/>.