Answer the following questions:
1. Briefly describe the process of inflammation in an area that has been traumatized.
Inflammation is considered a nonspecific, defensive bodily response to an area that has been damaged. Here, pathogens, abrasions, chemical irritations, distortion or disturbances of cells, and extreme temperatures are the usual conditions that may cause inflammation. However, due to inflammation being a nonspecific defense mechanism, the response of a tissue to a cut would be quite similar to the responses to burns, radiation, or microbial invasion. In every case, the inflammatory response would manifest itself in three basic stages: first, vasodilation and increased permeability of blood vessels; then, emigration of phagocytes from the blood into the interstitial fluid; and, lastly, tissue repair (Tortora & Derrickson, 2018).
For the first stage, the vasodilation would enable more blood to flow through a traumatized area, and the increased permeability would simply permit more substances such as antibodies and clotting factors to enter the said area. The increased blood flow also promotes the removal of microbial toxins and dead cells (Tortora & Derrickson, 2018).
In the next stage, phagocytes like neutrophils and monocytes would make an appearance in an attempt to destroy invading microbes. Neutrophils are usually the ones to arrive first but die off quickly. Then, monocytes would make more of a presence to transform into wandering macrophages to support the fixed macrophages that are already there. Although macrophages are much stronger than neutrophils, they also die. As such, in a few days, there would be a collection of dead phagocytes, forming pus. Usually, this pus is eventually destroyed and absorbed (Tortora & Derrickson, 2018).
Finally, there would be tissue repair. Particularly, once the wound cleans out, there would be an attempt by the body to fill and cover the damage, resulting in new tissue. The new tissue generally gains strength and flexibility slowly (Wallace, 2017).
2. Choose one type of Immunity (Innate and Humoral) and explain how its mechanism protects our body.
Adaptive immunity is a body’s defense against specific invading agents like bacteria, toxins, viruses, and foreign tissues. Here, substances that are recognized as foreign and trigger immune responses would be called antigens. Under adaptive immunity, there exist two types: cell-mediated immunity, where cytotoxic T cells would attack invading antigens directly; and antibody-mediated immunity, where B cells transform into plasma cells, which would produce certain proteins called antibodies. A particular antibody would bind to and inactivate its relevant antigen. Helper T cells would also aid in the processes of both cell-mediated immunity and antibody-mediated immunity. Focusing more on antibody-mediated immunity, it is mainly known to work against extracellular pathogens, e.g., viruses, bacteria, or fungi that are in bodily fluids outside cells. Because antibody-mediated immunity primarily involves antibodies that bind to antigens in body humors (fluids like blood and lymph), it could also be called humoral immunity. Furthermore, in the presence of an antigen, specific B cells from the lymph nodes, spleen, or MALT become activated. Then, the B cells experience clonal selection, producing clones of plasma cells and memory cells. In this process, the plasma cells would be the effector cells of B cells, wherein they would secrete antibodies. These antibodies, in turn, circulate in the lymph and blood to arrive at the site of invasion (Tortora & Derrickson, 2018).
References:
- Wallace, H. A., Basehore, B. M., & Zito, P. M. (2017). Wound healing phases.
- Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. H. (2018). Principles of anatomy and physiology. John Wiley & Sons.