 The immune system is our body’s best defensive system.

It
functions against infringing microorganisms and keeps us healthy.
 Immunology is a branch of biology which deals with complex
body functions of the immune system. The ability to tackle
antigens or pathogens and being healthy is referred to as
immunity.

 The immune system is composed of cells, tissues, and organs that

work unitedly in protecting our body. This system defends the

Immune system human body from the trespassing pathogens in a variety of ways.
They work based on memory, some are innate, and some are
acquired. Hence, they function in allergies, autoimmunity and
organ transplantation.
 The most important cells involved in the immune system are white
blood cells (or) leukocytes, which are involved in destroying
disease-causing organisms or substances. Apart from the
leukocytes, lymphoid organs, tissues, and proteinaceous
molecules antibodies are also involved in the defensive system.
Immune system
  The organs of the immune system which are involved in defending
the body against invading pathogens causing infections or spread
of tumors is termed as Lymphoid organs. It includes bone marrow,
blood vessels, lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, thymus, spleen,
and various other clusters of lymphoid tissue.
 Lymphoid organs are the site of origin, maturation, and
Lymphoid proliferation of lymphocytes. They exist as primary, secondary or
tertiary and these are based on their stage of development and
organ maturation.

 These organs consist of fluid connective tissues with different types

of leukocytes or white blood cells. The highest percentage of
Lymphocytes are present in the white blood cells or leukocytes.
  Primary lymphoid organs
The primary lymphoid organs produce and allow the
maturation of lymphocytes. It also serves by generating
lymphocytes from immature progenitor cells. Therefore it is
referred to as the central lymphoid organs. Examples of
primary lymphoid organs include thymus and the bone
marrow.

Types of  Secondary lymphoid organs

The secondary lymphoid organs are referred to as the
lymphoid peripheral lymphoid organs as they are involved in the sites
for the interaction of lymphocytes with the antigen to
organs become effector cells. They initiate an adaptive immune
response. The secondary lymphoid organs examples
includes spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, appendix, etc.

 Tertiary lymphoid organs

The tertiary lymphoid organs usually contain very less
number of lymphocytes. It plays an important role during
the inflammation process.
  Immunity is the ability of the body to defend itself
against disease-causing organisms. Everyday our body
comes in contact with several pathogens, but only a few
What is results into diseases. The reason is, our body has the

immunity?? ability to release antibodies against these pathogens

and protects the body against diseases. This defense
mechanism is called immunity.
 There are two major types of immunity:

Types of  Innate Immunity or Natural or Non-specific Immunity.

 Acquired Immunity or Adaptive Immunity.
immunity
  This type of immunity is present in an organism by birth.
 This is activated immediately when the pathogen attacks.
Innate immunity includes certain barriers and defense
mechanisms that keep foreign particles out of the body.
 Innate immunity refers to the body’s defense system.
Innate  This immunity helps us by providing the natural resistance
components including salivary enzymes, natural killer cells,
Immunity intact skin and neutrophils, etc. which produce an initial
response against the infections at birth prior to exposure to
a pathogen or antigens.
 It is a long-term immunity in which our body produces the
antibodies on its own. Our body has few natural barriers to
prevent the entry of pathogens.
  Physical barrier
These include the skin, body hair, cilia, eyelashes, the respiratory tract, and
the gastrointestinal tract. These form the first line of defence.

The skin does more than providing us with fair or dark complexions. Our
skin acts as a physical barrier to the entry of pathogens. The mucus coating
in our nose and ear is a protective barrier which traps the pathogen before it

Types of gets inside.

 Physiological barriers
barriers We know that our stomach uses hydrochloric acid to break down the food
molecules. Due to such a strongly acidic environment, most of the germs that
our body along with the food are killed before the further process is carried
on.

Saliva in our mouth and tears in our eyes also have the antibiotic property
that does not allow the growth of pathogens even though they are exposed
all day.
  Cellular barriers
In spite of the physical and physiological barriers, certain
pathogens manage to enter our body. The cells involved
in this barrier are leukocytes (WBC), neutrophils,
lymphocytes, basophil, eosinophil, and monocytes. All
these cells are all present in the blood and tissues.

 Cytokine barriers
Types of barriers The cells in our body are smarter than we give them
credit for. For instance, in case a cell in our body
experiences a virus invasion, it automatically secretes
proteins called interferons which forms a coating around
the infected cell and prevents the cells around it from
further infections
  Phagocytes: These circulate through the body and look
for any foreign substance. They engulf and destroy it
defending the body against that pathogen.

Cells Involved  Macrophages: These have the ability to move across the
walls of the circulatory system. They release certain
In Innate signals as cytokines to recruit other cells at the site of
infections.
Immunity  Mast Cells: These are important for healing wounds and
defence against infections.

 Neutrophils: These contain granules that are toxic in

nature and kill any pathogen that comes in contact.
  Eosinophils: These contain highly toxic proteins that
kill any bacteria or parasite in contact.
 Basophils: These attack multicellular parasites. Like the
Cells Involved In mast cells, these release histamine.

Innate Immunity  Natural Killer Cells: These stop the spread of

infections by destroying the infected host cells.
  Acquired immunity or adaptive immunity is the
immunity that our body acquires or gains over time.
Unlike the innate immunity, this is not present by birth.
 The ability of the immune system to adapt itself to
disease and to generate pathogen-specific immunity is
termed as acquired immunity. It is also known as
Acquired adaptive immunity.
 It is specific and mediated by antibodies or
Immunity lymphocytes which make the antigen harmless.
 The main function of acquired immunity is to relieve the
victim of the infectious disease and also prevent its
attack in future.
 It mainly consists of an advanced lymphatic defense
system which functions by recognizing the own body
cells and not reacting to them.
  The immune system of our body identifies the pathogens which have
encountered in the past. It is mainly caused when a person comes in
contact with the pathogen or its antigen.
 Our body starts producing antibodies to engulf the pathogen and
destroy its antigen.
 When it encounters for the first time, it is called a primary response.
Once a body gets used to these pathogens, antibodies are ready to
attack them for the second time and are known as naturally acquired
immunity.
 The acquired immunity in our body has certain special features.
Acquired
Immunity
  Specificity: Our body has the ability to differentiate
between different types of pathogens, whether it is
harmful or not, and devise ways to destroy
 Diversity: Our body can detect vast varieties of
pathogens, ranging from protozoa to viruses.
 Differentiate between self and non-self: Our body
Features of has the unique ability to differentiate between its own
Acquired cells and foreign cells. It immediately starts rejecting
any foreign cell in the body.
Immunity  Memory: Once our body encounters a pathogen, it
activates the immune system to destroy it. It also
remembers what antibodies were released in response
to that pathogen, so that, the next time it enters, a
similar procedure is followed by the body to eliminate
it.
  The acquired immunity involves two types of cells: B-
cells and T-cells

Cells Involved
in Acquired
Immunity
 B-cells
 They develop in the bone marrow.
 These cells are activated on their encounter with
foreign agents. These foreign particles act as foreign
markers.
 The B-cells immediately differentiate into plasma cells
Cells Involved in which produce antibodies specific to that foreign
Acquired particle.
 These antibodies attach to the surface of the
Immunity antigen/foreign agent.
 These antibodies detect any antigen in the body and
destroy it.
 The immunity dependent on B-cells is called humoral
immunity.
 T-cells
 They originate in the bone marrow and develop in the
thymus.
 T-cells differentiate into helper cells, cytotoxic cells,
and regulatory cells. These cells are released into the
bloodstream.
Cells Involved in  When these cells are triggered by an antigen, helper T-
Acquired cells release cytokines that act as messengers.

Immunity  These cytokines initiate the differentiation of B-cells

into plasma cells which release antibodies against the
antigens.
 The cytotoxic T-cells kills the cancer cells.
 Regulatory T-cells regulate immune reactions.
 Humoral Immune Response
 The antibodies produced by B-lymphocytes are present in
the blood cells and they are transported all over the body.
This is why it is called the humoral immune response as it
consists of an antibody produced by the lymphocytes.
 It depends upon the action of antibodies circulating in the
Types of Acquired body. When an antibody on a B-cell binds with an antigen,
humoral immunity comes into play. The antigen is
Immune internalized by the B cell and presented on the helper T
Response cell. This activates the B-cell.
 The activated B cells grow and produce plasma cells.
 These plasma cells release antibodies in the bloodstream.
The memory B cells retain the information about the
pathogen to prevent any disease caused by that pathogen
in the near future.
 Cell-mediated Immune Response
 Cell-mediated immunity is initiated by the T helper
cells.

 The cytotoxic T cells eliminate the infected cells from

Types of Acquired the body by releasing toxins, thereby,
Immune promoting apoptosis or programmed cell death.
Response  The T helper cells help to activate other immune cells.
Cell-mediated immunity becomes clear in the case of
transplant patients.