1. Briefly describe the process of inflammation in an area that has been traumatized.
- Inflammation is a defense mechanism that occurs in the body when it is has tissue damage, injured, and infected. The mechanism involved clearing out the damaged cells and initiate recuperation of tissues. The processes of inflammation in an area that has been traumatized are as follows:
a. Vasodilation and Increased Permeability
- Blood vessels in the traumatized area undergo vasodilation when the tissues are damaged. vasodilation of arterioles enables greater amounts of blood to pass through the area that has been injured and increased permeability of capillaries allows such as antibodies to enter the traumatized area from the blood. This process will result to heat, redness, and swelling.
b. Emigration of Phagocytes
-Immune cells namely neutrophils and monocytes (which transforms into wandering macrophages) adheres to the inner layer of blood vessel endothelium and begins to push through the blood vessel wall and into the injured area.
c. Tissue repair
-Immune cells will then die which will result in the formation of pus, and tissue repair will begin.
2. Choose one type of Immunity (Innate and Humoral) and explain how its mechanism protects our body.
- Innate Immunity includes the first line of defense which are the physical and chemical barriers that protects our body against pathogens. The skin functions as a barrier of defense that presents obstacles for many microorganisms to attack. The mucous membranes traps microbes and foreign substances through its slightly viscous texture. Other fluids and enzymes such as the saliva, lysozyme, sebum, lacrimal apparatus, etc. also serves as protection and inhibits the growth of bacteria. Innate Immunity also includes the second line of defense in case the pathogens were able to penetrate the physical and chemical barriers. Antimicrobial substances such as interferons, complement, etc. have the ability to halt the replication of viruses, promotes phagocytosis, and attract cells that participates in immune responses. Natural Killer Cells, which involves two processes (cytolysis & apoptosis), recognize and destroy any body cells that display abnormal plasma membrane proteins, including cancer cells. Lastly, fever inhibits the growth of some microbes as it intensifies the effects of interferons which speeds up production of immune cells. In conclusion, Innate Immunity is vital for instantaneous defense and provides our body an extensive defense mechanism against a broad variation of pathogenic organisms.
References:
- Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. H. (2017). Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. Wiley.
- Libretexts. (2023, August 31). 11.1: The Innate Immune System: An Overview. Biology LibreTexts. https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Microbiology_(Kaiser)/Unit_5%3A_Innate_Immunity/11.1%3A_The_Innate_Immune_System%3A_An_Overview