Essay On Human Immune Response

The human immune response is a complex, layered system that uses multiple defense mechanisms which function in harmony to protect the body from infection and illness. There are two main types of immune response, the innate and acquired, and while these responses are related and sometimes overlap, they use separate processes to defend against invaders. Working as a whole, innate and acquired immune responses protect the body from infectious organisms. Infectious organisms that can cause disease include “bacteria, viruses, protozoans, fungi, parasites and prions (infectious proteins)” that are known as pathogens (Goodenough 238). There are three types of protection against pathogens in the human body. They are physical barriers, the chemical …show more content…
Their action is not a learned response, which differentiates them from the regular T cells which are used in acquired immune reactions, although they work similarly by attaching themselves to an abnormal cell and releasing destructive enzymes. NK cells also can manufacture cytokines, which are used in both acquired and innate immunity. One form of cytokine is interferon, which can “interfere with the reproduction of viruses” (Delves, “Innate”). Interferon works by calling macrophages and NK cells to attack infected cells. Interferons also spread to cells and stimulate the production of defensive proteins to protect healthy cells from infection. Another form of defensive protein is the complement system, which is composed of proteins that circulate in the blood and activate to fight pathogens. Complements can function in both acquired and innate immune response. Different complements can kill bacteria, attract macrophages and neutrophils to an infected area, and bind to the bacteria and change its structure, making it easier to destroy. In acquired immunity, complements can promote the forming of antibodies, and aid in memory. Another function of compliments is in promoting an inflammatory