8ody uefenses

l nonspeclflc uefense SysLem

Mechanlcal barrlers LhaL cover Lhe body surface cells and chemlcals LhaL acL lnlLlally Lo
proLecL Lhe body from lnvadlng paLhogens
A Surface Membrane 8arrlers
Intact sk|n (epldermls) lorms mechanlcal barrler LhaL prevenLs enLry of paLhogens and
oLher harmful subsLances lnLo Lhe body

l Acld ManLle Skln secreLlons make epldermal surface acldlc whlch lnhlblLs
bacLerlal growLh sebum also conLalns bacLerlakllllng chemlcals
ll keraLln rovldes reslsLance agalnsL aclds alkalls and bacLerlal enzymes

Intact mucous membranes lorms mechanlcal barrler LhaL prevenLs enLry of paLhogens
lll Mucus 1raps mlcroorganlsms ln resplraLory and dlgesLlve LracLs
lv nasal halrs lllLer and Lrap mlcroorganlsms ln nasal passages
v Cllla ropel debrlsladen mucus away from lower resplraLory passages
vl CasLrlc [ulce ConLalns concenLraLed hydrochlorlc acld and proLeln
dlgesLlng enzymes LhaL desLroy paLhogens ln Lhe sLomach
vll Acld manLle of Lhe vaglna lnhlblLs growLh of bacLerla and fungl ln female
reproducLlve LracL
vlll Lacrlmal secreLlon (Lears) sallva ConLlnuously lubrlcaLe and cleanse eyes
(Lears) and oral cavlLy (sallva) conLaln lysozyme an enzyme LhaL desLroys
mlcroorganlsms

8 nonspeclflc Cellular and chemlcal defenses
9agocytes Lngulf and desLroy paLhogens LhaL breach surface membrane barrlers
macrophages also conLrlbuLe Lo lmmune response
Natura| k|||er Ce||s romoLe cell lysls by dlrecL cell aLLack agalnsL vlruslnfecLed or
cancerous body cells do noL depend on speclflc anLlgen recognlLlon


nt|m|crob|a| Cem|ca|s
l ComplemenL Croup of plasma proLelns LhaL lyses mlcroorganlsms
enhances phagocyLosls by opsonlzaLlon and lnLenslfles lnflammaLory
response
ll lnLerferons roLelns released by vlrus lnfecLed cells LhaL proLecL
unlnfecLed Llssue cells from vlral Lakeover moblllze lmmune sysLem
lll urlne normally acld pP lnhlblLs bacLerlal growLh cleanses Lhe lower
urlnary LracL as lL flushes from Lhe body
hyslology of Lhe lmmune response
1he lnflammaLory process beglns wlLh a chemlcal alarm" When cells are ln[ured Lhey release
lnflammaLory chemlcals lncludlng hlsLamlne and klnlns 1hls causes Lhe blood vessels ln Lhe lnvolved
area Lo dllaLe and caplllarles Lo become leaky ullaLlon of Lhe blood vessels lncreases Lhe blood flow Lo
Lhe area resulLlng Lo redness and heaL aL Lhe slLe lncreased permeablllLy of Lhe caplllarles allows
plasma Lo leak from Lhe bloodsLream lnLo Lhe Llssue spaces causlng local edema LhaL acLlvaLes paln
recepLors aL Lhe area ChemoLaxls also occurs
WlLhln an hour or so afLer Lhe lnflammaLory process has begun neuLroplls squeeze Lhrough Lhe
caplllary walls Lo enLer Lhe area and engulf damaged or dead Llssue cells and/or paLhogens MonocyLes
follow Lhe neuLroplls lnLo Lhe lnflamed area WlLhln 8 Lo 12 hours Lhe monocyLes LhaL enLered Lhe
Llssues become macrophages and replace Lhe shorLllved neuLrophlls Macrophages are Lhe cenLral
acLors ln Lhe flnal dlsposal of cell debrls as Lhe lnflammaLlon subsldes
8esldes phagocyLosls oLher proLecLlve evenLs are also occurrlng aL Lhe lnflamed slLe CloLLlng
proLelns leaked lnLo Lhe area from Lhe blood are acLlvaLed and begln Lo wall off Lhe damaged area wlLh
flbrln Lo prevenL Lhe spread of paLhogens or harmful agenLs Lo nelghborlng Llssues 1he flbrln mesh also
forms a scaffoldlng for permanenL repalr 1he local heaL lncreases Lhe meLabollc raLe of Lhe Llssue cells
speedlng up Lhelr defenslve acLlons and repalr processes
lf Lhe area conLalns paLhogens LhaL have prevlously lnvaded Lhe body Lhe Lhlrd llne of defense
comes lnLo play

ll Speclflc uefense SysLem
1he lmmune SysLem
SomeLlmes referred Lo as Lhe body's 3
rd
llne of defense Lhe lmmune sysLem ls a funcLlonal
sysLem LhaL recognlzes forelgn molecules or anLlgens and acL Lo lnacLlvaLe Lhem or desLroy Lhem
normally lL proLecLs us from wlde varleLy of paLhogens as well as from abnormal body cells When lL
falls malfuncLlons or dlsabled some of Lhe mosL devasLaLlng dlseases such as cancer rheumaLold
arLhrlLls and AluS may resulL 1here are Lhree lmporLanL aspecLs of Lhe lmmune response lLs anLlgen
speclflc lL recognlzes and acLs agalnsL parLlcular paLhogens or forelgn subsLances lL ls sysLemlc
lmmunlLy ls noL resLrlcLed Lo Lhe lnlLlal lnfecLlon slLe and lL has a memory lL recognlzes and mounLs even
sLronger aLLack on prevlously encounLered paLhogens

AnLlgens
ls any subsLance capable of exclLlng our lmmune sysLem and provoklng an lmmune response
1hey are forelgn lnLruders 1here are llmlLless varleLy of subsLances can acL as anLlgens lncludlng
vlrLually all forelgn proLelns nuclelc aclds many large carbohydraLes and some llplds ollen gralns and
mlcroorganlsms such as bacLerla fungl and vlrus parLlcles are anLlgenlc because Lhelr surfaces bear such
forelgn molecules