How the body fights infection

• the body has many ways of defence, but the most important ones are found in blood.

Defence systems in the blood:

- White blood cells have several kinds that all help fighting infection. They either:

Eat bacteria or viruses Produce Antibodies

- When the skin is broken, white blood cells move with the bloodstream to the damaged area
to attack and eat up the microbes. This process is accompanied by inflammation of the
infected area.

Inflammation: The change that occurs in the infected area of the body because of the increased
flow of blood. The skin becomes hot, red and swollen.

Antibodies: substances produced by white blood cells which produce different antibodies
to resist each kind of microbe.

- Antibodies surround bacteria and viruses so that they can be easily destroyed by white cells.
Protect + against
Immunity: protection against/resistance to disease. Resist + to
Types of immunity: Immune + to

Natural
Immunity to diseases that has
already affected a person before,
passing from the mother to child
during pregnancy, or from breast-
milk.
+ immunity to diseases that affected a person before
usually lasts for a lifetime.
- people do not develop diseases from vaccination
because the microbe has already been killed/weakened.
Artificial
Immunity to diseases given to a person
by vaccination (made by man).
Vaccine: A substance prepared from disease microbes
which have been killed or weakened, given to people
through infections.
Diseases of which vaccination is
available: Measles, rubella, polio,
tuberculosis, diphtheria, rabies,
meningitis, typhoid, whooping-cough,
cholera, hepatitis B, yellow fever,
plague and tetanus.

• Immunity Related To Living Conditions:

To strengthen the immune system, a person should do the following:

- Eat enough of the right kinds of food. The body needs good food to fight
- Avoid overcrowded living conditions and overwork. microbes and resist infection