0
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
How do phagocytes protect cells?
Phagocytes are the white blood cells that protect the body by ingesting harmful foreign particles such as bacteria and dead cells. Also they are essential for fighting infections and for subsequent immunity.
Phagocytes are crucial in fighting infections, as well as in maintaining healthy tissues by removing dead and dying cells that have reached the end of their lifespan.
During an infection, chemical signals attract phagocytes to places where the pathogen has invaded the body. These chemicals may come from bacteria or from other phagocytes already present.
Hope this will help!
Inborn immunity is either a genetic quirk , or something you inherit from your Mother, especially if you are breast-fed as a baby. Awoman can pass anti-bodies to the baby from things she herself has been exposed to.
What does aids do your immune system?
Aids and HIV are not the same thing though many people think they are. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks your body and destroys your CD4+ cells, which are part of the bodies immune system therfore it slowly weakens your bodies immune system so it can no longer fight diseases as well as it once could. Aids is only when you have a full outbreak of HIV. I am sorry I couldn't be of more help I don't have alot of time right now to give a more discriptive answer.
Macrophages are "big eaters" and are a type of white blood cell that engulf and digest cellular debris, foreign substances, microbes, and cancer cells in a process called phagocytosis.
What are specialized white blood cells that produce antibodies coded to destroy specific antigens?
the B-cells.
Why does nail belongs to integumentary system?
Nails help protect the fingertips and make it easier for a person to grip things. They also serve as an indicator for internal problems. For example, when someone is cyanotic due to a lack of blood oxygen, the nails will turn blue.
What are the Similarities between pathogen and non pathogen?
A pathogen is an organism that causes disease (they are PATHOlogy GENerators). A pathogen that does not cause disease is an oxymoron.
What are some diseases that are not caused by pathogens?
Hypertension, diabetes and nutritive deficiency diseases (rickets, scurvy, pellagra) are not normally caused by a virus or bacteria. Conditions caused by cell or organ malfunction (e.g. gallstones, emphysema, and cancer) are also not caused by pathogens. Stomach ulcers may be caused by bacteria or not, but are often aggravated by infections.
How do helper t-cells assist with immunity?
Helper T-cells are white blood cells. Most white blood cells kill or "hijack" infected host cells as they fight disease and infection. Unlike other white blood cells Helper T-cells do not have a capability to kill or take over the infected host cells, so their contribution in fighting disease and infection is by activating and directing the proper white blood cells to the infected host cell which needs killing or "hijacking".
I think comparing it to a GPS system in your automobile would make it simpler. While you may know WHERE you are supposed to go, the GPS shows activates and gives you directions. most any of the GPS's will "Activate" or "alert" you by speaking aloud and then giving directions "Turn Right ahead" or "Proceed ahead for 1 mile and turn left onto..." thus activating you how and where to drive the car to get to the proper destination.
How do you get a splinter out from under your nail?
The best way is to place your finger in hot (not boiling: ouch) soapy water. This WILL soften the nail enough for you to either peel some nail back to get the splinter out if its close to the outside of the nail of you can use high quality tweezers (about $10+) to get under the nail enough while the nail is soft to reach it and pull it out.
I recommend not using poor quality tweezers as this could make it worse.
Also with this method you may wish to use a local anesthetic or some pain killers i recommend ibuprofen but do only use the amount it says to use on your packed box - it is usually 2 tablets for people over 12 and 1 tablet for people over 6 years of age but DO check the label!
What are risk factors of Smallpox?
Small Pox is an infectious disease, so you'd think there would be a high risk, but, a vaccination for Small Pox was created and now Small Pox has been almost 100% eradicated except for a few chemical labs that dot the world.
Immune defense is well made of antibodies that live within the organisms cell. Also, the main thing that contributes to immune defense is a result of how well the organisms condition is in.
What is the name of the cell that finds invading pathogens?
Monocytes are large, spherical cells that make up 2 to 8% of circulating WBCs. Monocytes enter peripheral tissues to become tissue macrophages which can engulf large particles and pathogens.
They secrete substances that attract other immune system cells and fibroblasts to the injured area.
However you may mean neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes) make up 50 to 70 % of all circulating WBCs. Their cytoplasm is packed with pale granules containing lysosomal enzymes
and bacteria-killing compounds (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions).
Neutrophils are very active and are generally the first to attack bacteria at the site of an injury. While digesting pathogens, neutrophils release prostaglandins that affect local capillaries, and leukotrienes that attract other phagocytes. The breakdown of used neutrophils in an infected wound forms pus.
How does the urinary system relate to the immune system?
Well I learned in Biomedical that the Immune system fights off infection on your pecker.
Do your nails grow faster after you cut them?
your nails will grow at the same rate if you cut them but if you want to make them longer you can put your nails in chlorine for 5 minutes a day to make them longer.
Does the immune system protects the body from disease?
the immune system does aid in protecting your body fight against disease or foreign bodies, but the main soldiers are your white blood cells which surround whatever germ or disease in the body and kills it. The more healthy you are the better your body can defend against these foreign bodies, viruses whatever you call them.
What is the function of spleen immune system?
The human spleen is an organ. It creates lymphocytes for the destruction and recycling of old red-blood cells. It is also a blood reservoir. It also can supply the body with blood in emergencies like a bad cut. Also, it is the location where white blood cells trap organisms. The spleen is part of the lymphatic system, not digestive.
What drug may damage and weaken the immune system?
There are many drugs that weaken the immune system, but people would likely be most familiar with corticosteroids (eg: Glucocorticoids). Corticosteroids are produced naturally by our bodies, but are also commonly given in higher doses to treat many different human ailments, such as asthma (an asthma puffer is often administering corticosteroids). The immunosuppressant nature of corticosteroids is exactly why they are effective drugs. For example, the symptoms of arthritis, an inflamatory disease (inflammation is caused by the immune system), are alleviated by corticosteroids by reducing the inflammation. Someone who is about to undergo an organ transplant will also often have their immune system suppressed with corticosteroids so that the transplanted organ will be less likely to be rejected.
Most pathogens are prevented from entering the body by what?
The skin is the main barrier against pathogens. It is covered by the hard protein keratin, and so pathgens can only enter by a break in this layer, for example a wound. At wounds, blood clots to prevent too many pathogens entering the body. There are also billions of bacteria crawling over our skin called Skin Flora, and these are harmless. They out-compete any other bacteria attempting to colonise the skin, so that they do not grow on us.
MucusOur noses, mouths and eyes are all natural breaks in the skin, so it is logical that these are the best entry points for any pathogens. Our airways and guts are moist, and so provide ideal breeding grounds for pathogens. However, mucus is secreted by the cells lining the airway, and pathogens get stuck in this mucus. Tiny hair-like protrusions called cilia move the mucus up to the throat, where it can be swallowed. The tears in our eyes produce an enzyme called lysozyme, which breaks down most bacterial cell walls, killing the bacteria. Secretions in the mouth and nose also contain lysozyme.
Digestive SystemsOur stomach contains concentrated Hydrochloric Acid lower than pH 2 (which is extremely acidic and is why vomit burns the throat). Most bacteria cannot survive these conditions and so are digested into simple sugars and proteins. In the guts are more bacteria like on the skin, and these are called Gut Flora. These also out-compete bacteria so they do not colonise our guts. The gut flora are harmless, and some even aid digestion or produce chemicals such as lactic acid, which help us defend against other pathogens.
