IMMUNITY AND THE

IMMUNE SYTSTEM

Regienald P. Cuevas
12 STEM- Aristotle
What is Immunity?

Immunity is the ability of the body to resist infection by

pathogens (viruses, bacteria and other unicellular parasites) and by
multicellular endoparasites.

It is the ability to resist diseases; to protect and defend the

body against foreign enemies; the ability of an organism to resist a
particular infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies or
sensitized white blood cells.

Types of Immunity
The Human Immune System
The immune system, which is made up of special cells, proteins,
tissues, and organs, defends people against germs and microorganisms
every day. In most cases, the immune system does a great job of
keeping people healthy and preventing infections. But sometimes
problems with the immune system can lead to illness and infection.
The immune system is the body's defense against infectious organisms
and other invaders. Through a series of steps called the immune
response, the immune system attacks organisms and substances that
invade body systems and cause disease.
Immune response occurs in stages, when an organism invades the
body, it must be recognized as foreign. Once it is recognized, It must
be marked so that all the cells within the immune system will know
that it is an invader attacking the body. Then the Various troops of
immune cells must be called to battle, a defense plan organized and
the defense begun. Finally, when the enemy has been defeated, a cease-
firemust be sounded and the battle stopped.
Immune Defense. The immune system has two defese plans:
nonspecific and specific. The non- specific defense is used against
all invaders. Non- specific responses are only able to recognize the
difference between self-cells. In specific defense, the immune system
recognizes the invader as one having previously attacked the body.

Immune Cells and Molecules

The cells of the immune system fall into three groups:

macrophages, natural killer, and lymphocytes. The immune system is
made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together
to protect the body. One of the important cells involved are white
blood cells, also called leukocytes, which come in two basic types
that combine to seek out and destroy disease-causing organisms or
substances. These defender white cells account for one percent of the
body’s 100 trillion cells.
 All types of cells member of the white blood cell population and
have the origin in bone marrow. Leukocytes are produced or stored in
many locations in the body, including the thymus, spleen, and bone
marrow. For this reason, they're called the lymphoid organs. There are
also clumps of lymphoid tissue throughout the body, primarily as lymph
nodes, that house the leukocytes.

Macrophages are the first to battleground and are part of a non-

specific defense; A macrophage is a type of phagocyte (cell eaters),
which is a cell responsible for detecting, engulfing and destroying
pathogens and apoptotic cells. Macrophages are produced through the
differentiation of monocytes, which turn into macrophages when they
leave the blood. They swallow up and dispose of enemy agents, dead
cells, and other debris.
Natural Killer Cells. They are group of special immune cells that are
able to quicly identify and destroy a large variety of newly formed
cancer cells, virus- infected cells, and fungi. Natural killer cells
(also known as NK cells, K cells, and killer cells) are a type of
lymphocyte (a white blood cell) and a component of innate immune
system.
NK cells play a major role in the host-rejection of both tumours and
virally infected cells.
NK cells are cytotoxic; small granules in their cytoplasm contain
special proteins such as perforin and proteases known as granzymes.
Upon release in close proximity to a cell slated for killing, perforin
forms pores in the cell membrane of the target cell through which the
granzymes and associated molecules can enter, inducing apoptosis.
The distinction between apoptosis and cell lysis is important in
immunology - lysing a virus-infected cell would only release the
virions, whereas apoptosis leads to destruction of the virus inside.
NK cells are activated in response to interferons or macrophage-
derived cytokines.
T cells and B cells. These are the 2 kinds of lymphocytes. They are
both formed in the bone marrow (bursa-derived cells). T cells leave the
bone marrow before they fully developed and travel to thymus gland. In
the thymus gland they mature and are programmed in the skills needed
to function as a T cells. On the other hand, the B cells remain in the
bone marrow to receive their B cell programming. When confronted with
a specific enemy agent, some B cells are programmed to produce immune
molecules called antibodies that recognize the chemical fingerprints
of the foreign antigen. B cell stores the information about the
invader for future purposes of encounter to the invader.

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a single human

lymphocyte

Four Kinds of T cells

T helper cells, cytotoxic T cells, suppressor T cells, and memory

T cells. The immune response begins with the command from the T helper
cells. They recognize the invader, then call in the train and immune
cells, including the B cells and cytotoxic T cells. The cytotoxic
(cell killing) T cells kill the enemy directly. T suppressor cells
decides when the battle ends. They call a truce to the fighting and
shut off the immune system. Memory T cell remain, ready to move
quickly if the enemy invades again.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells (also known

as accessory cells) of the mammalian immune system. Their main function
is to process antigen material and present it on the cell surface to
the T cells of the immune system. They act as messengers between
the innate and the adaptive immune systems.

Neutrophils. A type of immune cell that is one of the first cell

types to travel to the site of an infection. Neutrophils help fight
infection by ingesting microorganisms and releasing enzymes that kill
the microorganisms. A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell, a type
of granulocyte, and a type of phagocyte.

Basophils. A type of immune cell that has granules (small

particles) with enzymes that are released during allergic reactions
and asthma. A basophil is a type of white blood cell and a type of
granulocyte. Basophils are a type of white blood cells. Basophils are
the least common of the granulocytes, representing about 0.5 to 1% of
circulating white blood cells.

Eosinophils are a type of disease-fighting white blood cell. This

condition most often indicates a parasitic infection, an allergic
reaction or cancer. You can have high levels of eosinophils in your
blood (blood eosinophilia) or in tissues at the site of an infection
or inflammation (tissue eosinophilia). Eosinophils, sometimes
called eosinophiles or, less commonly, acidophils, are a variety
of white blood cells and one of the immune systemcomponents
responsible for combating multicellular parasites and
certain infections in vertebrates.
Disorders of the Immune System
Allergies. It is the result of having an overactive immune
system. Unnecessary antibodies are produced against such things as
house dust, animal fur, pollen and chemical molecules in certain
foods.
Autoimmune Disease. A disorder of mistaken identity. It occurs
when the body has difficulty distinguishing between self and foreign
cells.
AIDS- Acquired Immune deficiency syndrome. It destroys the immune
system of the body. It is caused by a virus called human immuno-
deficiency virus called HIV.

Immune Discoveries

Immunology, the study of the immune system.It began to flourish

in the discovery of modern vaccination in 1796 by a country physician
named Edward Jenner from England. It is made possible through the
infection of cowpox in England. The term vaccination comes from the
root word “vacca” which means cow. French chemist- turned- biologist
Louis Pasteur have also improved the modern way of vaccination through
the use of chickens with cholera. During Pasteur’ s time, vaccines for
many timely diseases were developed.

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