How does the human immune system work?

human immune system

The immune system plays a very crucial part in the human body.

It safeguards our bodily functions from aggressive germs and virus attacks and builds potential cells to strengthen the human body.

The most important components of the immune system are organs, proteins, and cells.

The immune system protects the human body from different types of invaders, keeps bodily functions away from bacteria, viruses, fungus, and toxic chemicals.

The primary part of our immune system can be classified into two ways:

a. The in-built system which the human is born with.

b. The adopted immune system that the human body develops with time while exposing itself to microbes and chemicals.

For the smooth functioning of our body, these two types of the immune system work together.

The in-built immune system

It remains within the person’s rapid response system.

It oils your mechanism and reacts at the moment when introduced with any invader.

As the name suggests, it is already there in your body and starts working from the very moment of birth.

If the system identifies any foreign intruder, it starts functioning immediately.

The cells of the immune system grasp the foreign elements in the body and protect the cells from any danger.

The deceased cells attacked by the immune system are called phagocytes.

The Adapted immune system

The adapted immune system and the in-built immune system work together to produce antibodies and protect your body from foreign invaders.

Antibodies are developed by B lymphocytes. It generally takes a couple of days to develop antibodies.

However, after the primary exposure to the foreign elements, it can easily recognize the invaders and defend them.

The adapted immune system evolved throughout human life.

The specific immune system creates antibodies and uses them to fight against all the odds that have been previously coming in contact.

It is known as the acquired immune response system.

Passive immunity

Passive immunity is borrowed immunity.

It is another source of immunity that lasts for a short period.

For instance: antibodies in breast milk provide newborn babies with a temporary immunity supply if they encounter any disease; this immunity cell helps to identify them easily.

How is the innate and adaptive immune system activated?

The immune system can be activated by a variety of activities that the body cannot identify on its own.

In Biology, they are termed antigens.

Proteins on the surface of fungus, viruses, and bacteria are these antigens.

When the antigens are attached to specific receptors on the immune cell, the entire process stimulates the body.

When the human body encounters the causing bacteria or germs, it generally stores the information about the particular germ and adopts the process of fighting against them.

Later, when the immune system recognizes the germ cells, it starts fighting against them.

Our body also has its own protein cells on the surface.

However, this protein cannot trigger the immune system.

When the immune system mistakenly takes its own body cells as foreign cells, then it attacks harmless cells within our body.

This process is known as an autoimmune response.

Therefore, our immune system doesn’t have the capacity to recognize only the malicious cells and attack them. The most important components of the immune systems are:

a. White blood cells

b. Antibodies

c. The complement system

d. Lymphatic system

e. The Spleen

f. Thymus

g. Bone marrow

These are the most active part of our immune system to fight against foreign cells actively.

The produced cell of both parts of the immune systems are made in different organs of the body, that includes:

Adenoids: two glands at the back of nostril passage

Bone marrow: this tissue is found within bone cavities.

Tonsils: Two oval masses in the throat.

Spleen: A fist-sized organ in the abdominal cavity.

Lymph nodes: these are the small organs, almost like beans, that are located throughout the body and connected through lymphatic vessels.

Thymus: it has two lobes that join the front of the trachea back of the breastbone.

How does the immunity system fight against viruses?

The immune system develops antibodies when get connected with the in-built system.

The cell they produce is called antibodies.

These antibodies can be used to help with the immune system and fight against malicious viruses, infections, bacteria.

However, antibiotics are not for curing the infections caused by viruses.

Rather, they are developed to kill some specific bacteria.

Therefore, all antibiotics cannot work for all types of infections and virus attacks.

For example, antibiotics that work for skin infection cannot cure stomach infection caused by bacteria.

Therefore, if you are using antibiotics for viral infections or using the wrong antibiotics for any bacterial infection, it might not work in the future.

It is very crucial to take specific foreign antibiotics prescribed for specific infections.

If consuming antibiotics are stopped at the early stage, the bacteria might develop a resistance to the antibiotics, and the infection is likely to come back soon.

The task of the immune system

Without an immune system, the human body will not be able to work.

As it helps to fight against the harmful bacteria and infections caused by foreign elements, it protects the human body from any kind of hazards.

The main task of immune systems are:

a. To fight against all kinds of odds and anomalies, germs like bacteria, viruses, parasites and eliminate them from the body.

b. To identify & neutralize the harmful substances from the environment.

c. To fight against the disease-causing revolution in the body like cancer cells.

d. Even though antibodies can recognize the antigens, they can't destroy the cells with the help of T cells. T cells also help to trigger other crucial cells like Phagocytes.