answersLogoWhite

0

The immune response occurring on the first exposure to a foreign material in the body.

This reaction is by both the innate and acquired immune system, the innate acting first (non specific) and the acquired developing to produce antibodies and T killer cells specific to the invading microorganism.

The innate immune system (that which is always active and is non specific) primarily involves neutrophils, a type of white blood cell specialised to release many different chemicals for signalling and is able to phagocytose (engulf and digest) foreign materials such as bacteria. On doing this is dies. At a site of infection under microscopy you will see lots of dead neutrophils, they are the main component of pus. Another of the primary responses is swelling, caused by vasodilation and increased permeability of blood vessels in the area/site of the tissue and cell damage.
When undergoing an innate response it is (unless caused by an autoimmune disease) a response to cell damage. When cells are damaged (such as by trauma, virus or bacterium) they release arachidonic acid, which is used by neutrophils when present to create substances to help vasodilate and increase the permeability of venule and capillary walls near the area. This is acute inflammation and initial neutrophil response. Coagulation factors and increased platelet synthesis also occurs (responsible for sealing off bleeding and creating a barrier if necessary to temporarily replace skin lost at the site of the wound).

The acquired response is a specific response based on the invading material. If a bacterium or virus is present and detected, macrophages will engulf and digest it, and present antigens/epitopes of the invader on their surface and 'alert' the B and T lymphocytes using these. The B and T cells reside in lymph nodes. The B-lymphocytes with the correct paratopes (receptors) will differentiate to memory cells and generate antibodies specific to shapes on its surface (antigens/epitopes) which will agglutinate and help destroy the invading cells or organisms.The T killer cells will destroy affected cells, T helper cells will assist B cells in multiplying and differentiating to plasma cells, that can then produce the specific antibodies.

The secondary response involves mainly memory cells, this is the response that occurs on the second entrance of a microorganism or virus that has been encountered before and dealt with by the primary response. I mentioned that B cells differentiate to plasma cells when triggered by the macrophages presenting the foreign epitopes (recognition sites). Well they also differentiate into long lived memory cells. Memory cells can differentiate straight into plasma cells in the secondary response and produce antibodies straight away without having to wait for the macrophages to present and B cells to multiply and so on. This makes the secondary response faster, more efficient, more specific and produce more antibodies in total. This is the theory of vaccinations, you will develop memory cells specific to the injected material so that if you contract the microorganism or virus in a real situation you will be able to kill it off before it accumulates to a serious level.

See a graph for a visual explanation. It takes less time and has more antibodies generated during the secondary response that the first.

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

What is HIV's primary target?

the immune system.


What is the primary way that HIV s affects the body?

it affects the immune system.


What organ system does the thymus belong to?

The lymphatic / immune system and the endocrine system.


What is the primary way that the human virus HIV affects the body?

it attacks the immune system


What is the secondary immune system?

The lymphatic system is sometimes called the secondary immune system, as it helps to fight infection by filtering out foreign material such as bacteria.The primary immune system is of course the white blood cells in the blood itself, which identify and attack foreign bodies directly.


What is the primary way that the human immunodeficiency virus HIV affect the body?

it attacks the immune system


What is the primary way that the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) affects the body?

it attacks the immune system


What is the purpose of the respiratory system and the immune system?

The primary function of the respiratory system is to absorb oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide. The primary function of the immune system is to prevent foreign organisms from invading the body and causing damage.


What is a primary response?

A primary response is the initial reaction of the immune system to an antigen or pathogen it encounters for the first time. It involves the activation and rapid proliferation of specific immune cells, such as T and B cells, to eliminate the foreign invader. This response helps establish immunological memory for future encounters with the same antigen.


What system protects the body against infection?

your immune system and your White blood cells produce antibodies


Is circulatory system the last body and most complicated line of defense against infection?

No, the circulatory system is not the last line of defense against infection. The immune system plays the primary role in defending the body against infections. The circulatory system helps in distributing immune cells and antibodies throughout the body to fight off infections, but it is not the final line of defense.


Which system in the body does HIV damage?

Acquired Immune System or Adaptive immune System