The Immune System Notes

First Line of Defense

1.

Physical barriers protect the body from micro-organisms by preventing

their entry into the body.
2. Skin protects the body by creating a barrier, the skin also protects the
body by excreting oils and sweat which kill foreign invaders. The only way
past it is if the skin gets broken.
Hair nose hair, eye lashes, etc. act as a filter/barrier to foreign particles
Mucus traps foreign invaders and they are either swallowed (then
digested) or blown out and removed from the body.
Tears tears wash away foreign bodies and also contain chemicals and salts
that destroy micro organisms.
Ear Wax acts as a barrier to foreign invaders
Gastric Juices digest foreign invaders
Second Line of Defense WHITE BLOOD CELLS
1.

Invaders release a CHEMICAL SIGNAL that lets our body know that we
need our secondary defense system.
2. This CHEMICAL SIGNAL causes increased blood flow to the region
affected and attracts special white blood cells
3. The white blood cells engulf and digest the invaders
4. The remaining fragments of dead white blood cells and digested invaders are
called pus. The presence of pus is a sign that the second line of defense is
working
The Tertiary or Third Line of Defense is the IMMUNE SYSTEM
a.

Our first and second line of defense work very well but organisms can enter
through FOOD, WATER OR BITES. When a pathogen enters the body our
Immune System is called into action
b. An antigen is a chemical produced by a foreign organism that signals to our
body that there is an invader present
c. An antibody is a specific defender created by our body to recognize and
attack a particular antigen

When a foreign invader enters the toxins it creates attach to receptor sites on
our cells and interfere with normal functions of that cell.
Antibodies attack toxins also, preventing them from attaching to the cells.
The use of antibodies to fight a pathogen is called an immune response.
In many cases, the first exposure to a pathogen causes the body to produce its
own antibodies, which protect the body against any future attacks by that same
pathogen.
In other cases temporary or permanent immunity is achieved by VACCINATION.
A vaccine is an old or weakened version of a pathogen, used to stimulate our
immune system and have the body build its own set of antibodies to battle that
pathogen.