The immune system has specialized cells called white blood cells that recognize foreign materials in the body and respond. The number of white blood cells in the blood can increase during an immune response. These cells travel through the circulatory system and the lymphatic system to an injured or infected area of the body. White blood cells leave the blood vessels and travel into the damaged tissue, where the immune response takes place.
The Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is the network of tissues and organs which has multiple interrelated functions. The primary function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph and pathogen-fighting white blood cells throughout the body, which is significant to the circulatory system. Lymph drifts through the lymph vessels when our skeletal muscles contract or when our body changes position. As it moves, it passes through lymph nodes, which filter out pathogens and other infections which are stored in white blood cells and causing them to swell when we get sick. It is also responsible for the elimination of body of toxins, unwanted materials and other interstitial fluid from tissues.
The immune system responds to attack.
Certain illnesses can cause symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and fever. These symptoms make you uncomfortable when you are sick. But in fact, most symptoms are the result of the immune system responding to foreign materials in the body. The immune system responds in two ways.
- At first, white blood cells (WBC’s) respond to the site where infection or injury occurs and attack the foreign particles in a nonspecific response. Few of these cells attack pathogens by producing chemicals which help other white blood cells to perform better.
- The second step in responding is very precise to the types of pathogens that invade the body. These white blood cells generate antibodies targeting each pathogen and provide immunity to our body.
Development of Immunity
After our body has destroyed a specific pathogen, B cells, which fight against the pathogen remain in our system. If the same pathogen invades our body again, then our immune system will certainly destroy it before we become ill. This revolution is called Immunity. It is of two types: active immunity and passive immunity.
Newborn babies get their immune defenses transferred from their mothers as their body has no ability to develop antibodies of their own. This type of immunity is called passive immunity. Antibodies are not produced by the body, but it is transmitted or delivered from another source. Babies produce their own antibodies after a few months of birth. Active immunity is produced whenever our body makes its own antibodies.
The significant role of immunity is fighting against any specific pathogen for which our body has developed antibodies against. For example, it is most unlikely that you will get chickenpox twice.
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