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PART I. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. Chapter 1. MAIN CONCEPTS

Immunology is a science about immunity. In the Russian Federation "Allergology and Immunology" is an official medical specialty that teaches structure and functions of the human immune system in normal and pathological states, including immune system disorders. In the wide sense of the word, immunology studies an organism's defense against genetically foreign factors by means of the immune system.

ORGANISM PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS

There are several biological mechanisms (ways) to protect multicellular organisms against external pathogens (Fig. 1.1):

• Integumentary tissues (skin, mucous membranes).

• Microbicidal secretions (hydrochloric acid of stomach, bactericidal compounds of saliva, digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, etc.).

• Vascular reactions prevent external factors from penetrating inside the body (quick swelling at the site of injury).

 

Fig. 1.1. Protection of multicellular organism's internal medium against external factors.A

multicellular organism needs to defend its internal medium against penetration and destructive action of various external substances and objects: 1 - infections; 2 - indigested food substances; 3 - inhaled and applied substances; 4 - lymphocytes - specialized immune cells

• Acute phase proteins - C-reactive protein (CRP) and mannose-binding lectin (MBL). They are synthesized by liver cells (hepatocytes). These proteins are able to bind the blood-infecting bacteria, viruses and unicellular fungi. Phagocytes express specific receptors (Rc) that bind complexes of acute phase proteins and microorganisms. Therefore acute phase proteins may function as opsonins.

• Phagocytosis of microbes by neutrophils and macrophages. This evolutionary conserved innate cellular defense mechanism originates from the alimentary function of unicellular organisms. The same cell - phagocyte - will attempt to take up various objects in order to digest.

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