Choose one concept in our lesson today, give a brief explanation about the concept and cite how would you apply this learning in your everyday life.
Learning more about the lymphatic system has greatly enlightened me on how our body defends itself from foreign invaders, especially through the processes in adaptive immunity, namely antibody-mediated immunity and immunological memory. In humoral immunity, the forms of B cell clones include plasma cells and memory B cells, which differentiate and work against extracellular pathogens. Selected antigen-stimulated B cells then play a vital role in immunological memory, specifically active immunity, as these adapt and increase resistance after every new encounter with the same antigen, producing antibodies.
These concepts reminded me of Ang Kwento ni Rosario, wherein Lucy, the mother, did not vaccinate her two youngest children since the other two experienced a fever after being vaccinated. Ultimately, the immediate cause of Rosario’s death was a series of symptoms and illnesses. The story highlights the importance of health literacy, especially in communities where there are challenges to access to health services and information dissemination. As a student nurse, the knowledge on immunity, together with the awareness on community health, empowers me to further advocate for improving public health and make health services more available and attainable.