February 7, 2005

Cellular Immune System

Here is an explanation of the cellular immune system. It points to the specific part of the immune system that attacks pathogens that have gotten past the white cells in the blood. The first paragraph sounds complicated, so I have tried to make it understandable in the numbered paragraphs that follow.

Cell-mediated immunity is an immune response that involves the activation of macrophages and NK-cells, the production of antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and the release of various cytokines in response to an antigen.

Translation: The cellular immune system protects the body by:

1. activating specific white cells (T-lymphocytes) that are able to blow up body cells that have foreign material attached to their surface, such as virus-infected cells, cells with intracellular bacteria, and cancer cells displaying tumor material;
2. activating other specific white cells (macrophages and NK cells), enabling them to destroy intracellular pathogens; and
3. stimulating cells that influence the function of other cells involved in adaptive immune responses and innate immune responses.

Cell-mediated immunity is most effective in removing virus-infected cells, but also participates in defending against intracellular bacteria.

The idea here is that the cellular immune system is stimulated by the Samento so that the body can defend itself and destroy infected cells and their contents of pathogenic material.

Posted by Laureen on February 7, 2005 3:38 PM

Comments

Posted by: ms bees knees at March 7, 2005 4:57 PM

Posted by: Lizzie at May 20, 2005 5:13 PM