How the immune system works in the body
The immune system consists of a group of cells, tissues, and organs similar to the army, and each of them performs specific functions to attack any enemy storming the body, so how does this system work?
When we talk about the immune system, we describe a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that prevent germs like bacteria, viruses, parasites, and viruses from attacking the body.
If these bacteria are able to enter the body, this network deals with and attacks them before they multiply and secrete their toxins.
And if you start to multiply inside the human body, the immune system works hard to get rid of it.
How can the immune system be strengthened in the body?
Some cases require vaccinations and medical intervention in the event of weak immunity in the body, but there are basic things to keep the immune system doing its job well, including:
Eating a complete diet: which includes balanced and important foods for the health of the body, such as grains, vegetables, fruits and protein. On the other hand, not to multiply from harmful foods such as fast food, fats, fried foods and sugars.
Exercise: One of the most important things to maintain the health of the body and its parts, and thus reduce the chances of infection and various diseases.
Sleep well: This is to avoid exposing the body to fatigue and not carrying out its functions and functions normally.
Avoid obesity: because it is one of the factors that disrupt the body’s functions and affect health negatively.
How is infection spread in the body?
Germs can come to the body through contact and skin contact, as well as having an intimate relationship, or by sneezing or coughing.
Also, using the personal tools of another person leads to the transfer of germs into the body.
Germs can be transmitted to the body through contaminated food or contaminated water.
Also, blood is a means of transporting germs as well as insect bites.
How does the immune system fight infection?
We can imagine that the immune system is an army that defends its habitat from the invaders, and the army is fortified through the skin and the corneal layer in the eye and the lining of mucus in the mouth, lungs, cells and tissues in the intestine.
Not only that, but the secretions and fluids that leave the body help push the germs out, just as the enzymes in them kill the germs.
The secretions and fluid are sweat, eye tears, nasal mucus, and vaginal secretions.
Therefore, any damage to the skin or these tissues, cell damage, and defects in secretions and fluids exposes the body to bacterial attack and ease of infection.
What are the most important components of the immune system?
The immune system consists of many parts that act as an integrated army to resist enemies, and among its most important components that play the essential roles in the body:
1- Lymphocytes
The lymphocytes are the most difficult task in the immune system, and they are a network of thin tubes that extend throughout the body and contain fluid.
One of its most important functions is that it picks up dead cells and germs, then this liquid is filtered to get rid of the infection.
2- The bone marrow
The bone marrow is a soft tissue located inside the bone, and contains stem cells that mature and develop into red and white blood cells and platelets.
The function of the bone marrow is to form immune bodies with the rest of the immune centers to fight infections, diseases and germs.
3- Swallowing cells
It has another name and it is the macrophages, which are cells that eat the foreign body or the microbe that attaches to the antibodies, then they devour all the cells that fell during the battle of resistance between the antibodies and the microbes that attack the body to clean it.
4- Antibody immunity
In the case of microbes invading the body, there are bodies that act as sensor pods aware of this microbial invasion, to inform the lymphocytes to induce them to produce defensive weapons against these microbes.
These weapons are composed of proteins whose primary function is the resistance of microbes that cause damage to the tissues of the body, and these proteins are called antibodies.
How does the immune system distinguish between an enemy and a friend?
After childbirth, the body has not previously been exposed to external bacteria, so children should be given vaccinations and vaccines that protect the body from infection, especially since their immune system is very weak.
As we age, we begin to be exposed to external pollutants, so that the immune system gets used to resisting and dealing with them.
Here comes another function of lymphocytes that we talked about before, as it keeps pieces of body-friendly proteins, so you remember them later and thus any other foreign bodies are enemies that must be resisted.
From here we can realize the importance of vaccines, as they are a weak or dead and harmless virus, but it defines the immune system on infection and harmful bacteria, and in case of infection with this virus later the device will know how to deal with it and eliminate it before it spreads.
Likewise, lymphocytes can identify cancer cells if there are changes in the proteins on the surface of the cells.
How to identify a problem with the immune system?
When the immune system can distinguish between healthy, damaged or malignant cells, this means that it works efficiently, but in the case of a weakened immune system, it will not be able to recognize enemies easily, and therefore will not resist or eliminate them.
Then the body will develop diseases from time to time, and it may end up with large, malignant diseases that are not easily treatable.
Therefore, the frequent incidence of diseases such as influenza and others is an indication of a weakened immune system, and the doctor must be consulted to find out the cause and its treatment.
There is another problem, which is that the immune system is excessive in its activity, and this also leads to a negative result, as it considers normal cells from enemies and begins to resist them, which causes diseases as well.
For example, if the immune system attacks the skin cells, a person may develop infections of the skin, and if he resists the intestinal cells, he can develop gastritis.
