1. Briefly describe the process of inflammation in an area that has been traumatized.
When tissue is damaged, the inflammatory response, or inflammation, activates. Initially, as cells release histamine, arterioles widen, allowing more blood and fluid to reach the injured tissue. Additionally, leukocytes get transported from the blood vessels to the location of the damage. Then, the blood flow to the trauma site gets blocked by the contraction and plugging of wounded blood vessels caused by clotting factors and enzymes. This may result in redness, heat, swelling, pain, and possibly a fever. Henceforth, chemicals released from injured cells start the immune system's migration of cells to engulf and destroy bacteria, ingest foreign substances, and eliminate dead cells from the trauma site. Blood platelets then transmit chemical signals that direct specialized healing cells to enter the area, generate collagen, and build scar tissue. Lastly, as total healing progresses, inflammation decreases.
2. Choose one type of Immunity (Innate and Humoral) and explain how its mechanism protects our body.
In humans, the innate immune system ranges from first-line and second-line defenses. The initial line of defense concentrates on surface barriers of varying sorts, such as mechanical, chemical, and biological barriers, which effectively prevent the majority of infections from entering the body.
The first line of defense against pathogens involves mechanical barriers, which physically prohibit the entry of pathogens. This includes the skin epidermis, mucous membranes, mucus, hairs, cilia, tears, saliva, urine, and even the processes of sneezing, coughing, defecation, and vomiting. Meanwhile, chemical barriers eradicate pathogens on the external body surface, at body apertures, and on internal body linings. This includes sebum, mucus, tears, breastmilk, vaginal secretions, semen, lysozomes, proteases, and gastric juice. As for biological barriers, they are living organisms that help protect the body from pathogens. Numerous harmless bacteria commonly inhabit the skin, urinary, reproductive, and gastrointestinal tracts of individuals, which utilize food and surface space to prevent pathogenic bacteria colonization and secrete substances that alter the environment and prevent it from hosting potentially harmful bacteria (i.e., release toxins or change the pH). All of these impacts of benign bacteria lessen the likelihood that harmful microbes would accumulate to a level where they can cause illness. Furthermore, second-line defense mechanisms focus on internal defenses containing antimicrobial substances such as interferons, iron-binding proteins, antimicrobial proteins, natural killer cells, and phagocytes. Moreover, it includes processes such as the complement system, inflammation, and fever.
References:
Emerson, A. (n.d.). The inflammatory response: Definition & steps. Study.Com. https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-inflammatory-response-definition-steps.html
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. H. (2018). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology (15th ed., p. 824). John Wiley & Sons.
Wakim, S., & Grewal, M. (2020, May 13). 8.4: Innate immune system Biology LibreTexts. https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Community_College_of_Vermont/Human_Biology_(Gabor_Gyurkovics)/08%3A_Immune_System/8.04%3A_Innate_Immune_System