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Immune System
This category is for questions about how our bodies identify and fight off disease, infection or pathogens through specialized cells, tissues and organs. The system that does this is called the immune system. It produces antibodies which recognize intruders and neutralizes potentially pathogenic organisms or substances.
4,548 Questions
What are the Bean-shaped masses of tissue in the body that help tp protect against infection?
Lymph nodes
How does the immune system work?
With an immune response.
When particles of a virus or other organism enter our body and are identified by the immune system as foreign "invaders", our bodies use the invaders, which are also called antigens/antibody generators, as a template to create matching antibodies.
Antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) are sort of like a lock and key system that, when matched perfectly with the antigens, can "lock" or neutralize (inactivate) the antigens so they can no longer enter or damage our cells. To neutralize each different strain of organism, the antibodies must have the right pattern to match the characteristics of each antigen. A match will allow the antibodies and immune response to make a "lock" to fit those viruses so they can not function. Our body remembers each new virus pattern that has caused an immune response in the past (either from getting an infection or from vaccinations), so that it can make those matching cells to protect us from that same specific organism (or those that are very similar) in case it ever enters the body again in the future.
Our body has the ability to determine when an antigen has invaded and, if it has a match to that stored from a prior invasion, the immune response is generated and the immune system quickly makes up a lot of those attack cells (antibodies), that the body made and that worked in the past to destroy/neutralize the invading infectious agent. If it is a new type of invader, usually our body can make cells that can match just right in a week to ten days for viruses and some other organisms. It can sometimes do this even more quickly for bacteria and other types of microbes.
It is during this time period, when our body is matching and making the attack cells to "kill" the invader, that we feel sick until our body finds the key pattern of cells that will match and lock that specific type of invader.
If exposed previously, either in the wild or by vaccination, our immune system wastes no time in locking up the invading organism, because it knows already what antibodies will fit as the "key" from the stored memory of the patterns that worked before. That is why, once we have had an infectious disease in many cases, we won't get sick from it again. Our body will already know what cells to make and will send them out to destroy the invader even before it can make us feel sick.
protects your body from diseasces and other illnesses by germs and bacteria
Celitiphirisis
The STD counselor on a Herpes support site herpesmate.com said herpes doesn't live outside the body for long..and you can not catch it from inanimate objects in a VERY RARE case if someone with herpes uses a towel after the shower and rubs enough of the "virus" off and someone uses it immediately after there is a VERY slim chance of them getting is since the towel is still damp.. but that would be a very rare occurrence.
How does autoimmunity arise from immune mechanisms?
Autoimmunity arises when the immune system mistakenly targets and attacks the body's own tissues, which can occur due to a breakdown in self-tolerance mechanisms. Factors contributing to this process include genetic predisposition, environmental triggers (such as infections or toxins), and dysregulation of immune responses. This can lead to the activation of autoreactive T cells and the production of autoantibodies, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. Ultimately, the immune system fails to distinguish between self and non-self, leading to autoimmune diseases.
What is increased portal ceroid-laden macrophages?
Portal ceroid-laden macrophages mean necrosis of hepatocytes at the interface of portal tracts. The necrosis may be induced by the inflammation including interface hepatitis. Macrophages phagocyte the necrotic hepatocytes, then they have abundant brownish cytoplasm, which is called ceroid-laden feature.
I doubt it, A fever is to do with the immune system, Its best to be warm and plenty of water, Its just a stupid rumour that is going around stick to what you believe as your mind is the most powerful thing to beat illness and your immune system.
What does leukocytes and urobilinogen on a urine dipstick test mean?
Leukocytes is infection. Urobilinogen is blood in the urine. It sounds like you was performing a test for a urine infection. If either of these 2 are positive then you have a UTI or possible Kidney infection if blood is found in urine.
What causes deformations of finger nails?
Commonly, if you have not experienced trauma or accidents involving your fingernails, the culprit could be fungal infections. Sometimes, bacteria can also be a cause.
What is the first line defense of disease?
The first line of defense includes the skin, breathing passage, mouth and stomach.
Is this true or false Allergies or hypersensitivities are normal immune responses?
They're abnormal immune responses - by definition, an allergy is an inappropriate response to a foreign substance. After all, it's not known as an 'allergy' when people's immune systems attack harmful pathogens, despite the body mounting somewhat similar immune responses.
What is the condition of splitting toenails in children?
Splitting toe nails in children may be caused by the following factors: 1. protein deficiency 2. vitamin C deficinecy 3. folic acid deficiency 4. tight-fitting shoes 5. hereditary 6. poor circulation 7. diabetes mellitus
Is 1 percent increased in lymphocyte count dangerous?
No. A 1% increase is negligible and could even be due to sampling or machine error. Even if it wasn't an error, and your lymphocyte count is truly elevated 1%, it isn't significant to warrant any concern. A slight increase like that can be caused by almost anything; maybe your shower was hot, maybe your orange juice was sour, maybe you stubbed your toe, maybe you were listening to a boring lecture about lymphocyte counts and how they can be elevated by almost anything...
What does the statement the immune system has a memory mean?
your memory cells remember how to fight off an infection, so if you get it again then your antibodies remember how to fight it off.
What condition is characterized by the inflammation?
Any condition with inflammation includes the suffix "itis." An example is arthritis.
What is your first line of defense in your immune system an how does it keep out infection?
Its actually something you might not think of, it's the skin! It acts as a barrier to microbes first of all. There are bacteria that are constantly present on the skin that prevent other possibly harmful bacteria from reproducing and possible penetrating the skin. Secretions like sweat also contain lysozymes that can destroy the cell wall of some bacteria. Once the skin is penetrated other lines of defense take over
Why is a logarithmic scale used for antibody concentration?
From a math point of view, a logarithmic scale is used when there is a great range of values. Common example are the Ph scale for acidity, decibels for noise, and the Richter scale for earthquakes.
What is the medical term meaning abnormal increase in immature lymphocytes?
This is called lymphocytic leukocytosis. This is when there is a really high number of lymphocytes that are present in the blood usually when viruses are present.
Will a new toenail attach to the nail bed as it grows?
Unless there has been significant damage to the nail root... yes.
What are some ways microbes evade the body's immune system?
Microbes evade the immune system through inhibition of phagocytosis by affecting the receptors that phagocytes use to engulf bacteria or by mimicking host cells so that the immune system does not recognize them as foreign.
