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    Immune System And Function, A Simple Guide And Related Conditions
    Immune System And Function, A Simple Guide And Related Conditions
    Immune System And Function, A Simple Guide And Related Conditions
    Ebook210 pages3 hours

    Immune System And Function, A Simple Guide And Related Conditions

    By Kenneth Kee

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Chapter 1

    The Immune System

    What is immunity?

    Immunity can be defined as protection from infection such as bacteria, virus, fungus, foreign body.

    There are different kinds of immunity.

    This topic is about how different parts of the bodies work together to keep us from getting sick.

    Immunity to some diseases is passed on from our mothers before we are born.

    Immunization (having the 'shots') helps the body's immune defense system protect us from diseases.

    The body's immune system

    Every body has an inbuilt immune system which protects it from diseases and germs.

    This system has a lot of different parts which work together to keep out any harmful germs, and attack and destroy any which manage to get inside the body

    Every day the body is exposed to millions of germs, and you do not get sick from them because of the immune system.

    We are surrounded by millions of bacteria, viruses and other microbes (germs) that have the potential to enter our bodies and cause harm.

    The immune system is the body's defense against pathogens (disease-causing microbes).

    The immune system is made up of non-specialized defenses such as skin and the acidic juice produced by the stomach.

    But it also has some highly specialized defenses which give you immunity against (resistance to) particular pathogens.

    These defenses are special white blood cells called lymphocytes.

    Other types of white blood cells play an important part in defending the body against infection.

    Every time you do get sick because of a germ, the immune system works to get rid of it and then it remembers how to fight the infection if the same germ comes again.

    Usually the older you get, the more germs you become immune to.

    So let's have a look at the immune system, starting from the outside of the body.

    A. General Defenses

    a. The skin

    The skin is the first line of defense in the immune system.

    Well the skin is like a plastic wrap to keep germs from getting into the body.

    The epidermis (outside layer of skin) has special cells which warn the body about incoming germs.

    Glands in the skin also make substances that can kill some bacteria (anti-bacterial chemicals).

    This means you do not get infections on the skin unless the skin is damaged, such as by a cut or a graze.

    b. Mucosal defenses

    The nose, mouth and eyes are the next point of attack.

    The mucous membranes which line the mouth, throat, lungs and bowel, act like a barrier to germs, just as the skin does.

    Saliva in the mouth and the tears which wash the eyes has special enzymes (chemicals) in them which break down the cell walls of many bacteria and viruses.

    The mucous, that is made in the nose, throat and lungs traps bacteria, viruses and dust.

    c. Chemical Defenses

    Acid in the stomach kills most germs, and starts to digest the food.

    d. Cough reflex

    Throat irritated by germs will be stimulated by the cough reflex to cough them out of the body

    e. Gut micro-organisms

    Good bacteria in the bacterial flora of the intestine like lactobacillus not only produce vitamins like vitamin K but also help to get rid of bad bacteria

    B. Types of Immune System

    The immune system is a network of cells, tissues and organs, found throughout the body that combats infectious disease and cancers.

    It is divided into 'innate' and 'adaptive' immune responses.

    a. Innate immunity

    The 'innate' (meaning: "present from birth" and "operates throughout life") part of the immune system is so-called because it has a number of set strategies for recognizing and dealing with certain kinds of infection without needing to be "trained" to identify them.

    'Innate' immunity is quick to respond to certain general signs of infection, and includes certain specialized cells (phagocytes) able to track and 'eat' infective germs

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKenneth Kee
    Release dateOct 13, 2015
    ISBN9781310828485
    Immune System And Function, A Simple Guide And Related Conditions
    Author

    Kenneth Kee

    Medical doctor since 1972.Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009.Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993.Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 74However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours inthe afternoon.He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com.His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.comThis autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com.From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks.He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books.He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures.Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.The later books go into more details of medical disorders.He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter.The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks.He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke.His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre.The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall.He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) startingwith the Apple computer and going to PC.The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core.The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive.He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance.His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner.The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned.This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale.Dr Kee is the author of:"A Family Doctor's Tale""Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine""Case Notes From A Family Doctor"

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      Book preview

      Immune System And Function, A Simple Guide And Related Conditions - Kenneth Kee

      Immune

      System

      And

      Function,

      A

      Simple

      Guide

      And

      Related Conditions

      By

      Dr Kenneth Kee

      M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)

      Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)

      Copyright Kenneth Kee 2015 Smashwords Edition

      Published by Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com

      Dedication

      This book is dedicated

      To my wife Dorothy

      And my children

      Carolyn, Grace

      And Kelvin

      This book describes the disease Immune System and Its Functions or in vernacular terms

      (What You need to know about Immune System)

      This eBook is licensed for the personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.

      If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

      Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Introduction

      Ode to Immunity

      Immunity is the body’s way of protecting it from harm daily

      The skin, mucosa, gastric acid and gut flora prevent germs entry

      This is the body’s first line of defense against all pathogens

      Healthy lifestyles of balanced diet, rest and exercise improve the immune system

      The white cells and the lymphatic system form the second line of defense

      The macrocytes, monocytes and neutrophils act to kill and engulf the germs

      The lymphatic system is the body’s main defense with T-cells and B cells

      Natural killer cells is part of the attacking system to sense where the germs dwell

      The thymus gland produces mainly the T cell lymphocytes

      While the bone marrow produce the B cells and other leucocytes

      The lymph nodes will also filter the pathogens from the lymph veins

      Block the pathogens in its tissues until the natural killer cells destroy them

      B cells can produce antibodies to counter the pathogens

      T cells can send in the cytokines chemicals of destruction

      These chemicals lyse the wall of the germs to leak it to rest

      Natural killer cells will engulf and strangulate the germ to death

      -An original poem by Kenneth Kee

      Interesting Tips about the Immunity

      A Healthy Lifestyle

      1. Take a well Balanced Diet

      2. A healthy lifestyle is the most important part of the body’s fight against germs.

      A balanced diet, enough sleep and rest and good exercise help the body to be strong and healthy.

      Good personal and food hygiene habits prevent germs from getting entering the body.

      One important part o the immune system is the white blood cells and the lymphatic system which is always ready to catch and fight germs before they can cause illness.

      The lymph nodes also help to trap germs while other lymphoid tissue like tonsils catches germs in the mouth and throat.

      The thymus gland produces the T cells with its arsenal of helper cells, memory cells and cytokines to kill the pathogens in the body.

      The bone marrow helps to produce the B cells and its arsenal antibodies.

      In addition the use of vaccines produced by researchers has reduced many illnesses to small epidemics or none at all (smallpox).

      3. Keep bones and body strong

      Bone marrow produces our blood

      Eat foods rich in calcium like yogurt, cheese, milk, and dark green vegetables.

      Eat foods rich in Vitamin D, like eggs, fatty fish, cereal, and fortified milk.

      Eat food rich in Vitamins B and C such as green vegetables and fruits

      Zinc and other minerals are important to the body

      4. Get enough rest and Sleep

      Avoid stress and tension

      5. Exercise and stay active.

      It is best to do weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or lifting weights for 2½ hours a week.

      One way to do this is to be active 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week.

      Begin slowly especially if a person has not been active.

      6. Do not drink more than 2 alcohol drinks a day for a man or 1 alcohol drink a day for a woman.

      Alcohol use also increases the chance of falling and breaking a bone.

      Alcohol can affect the neurons and brain cells.

      7. Stop or do not begin smoking.

      It also interferes with blood supply and healing.

      Cigarettes contain more than forty types of hazardous and possibly cancer causing chemicals which can harm the smokers and those around them.

      Chapter 1

      The Immune System

      What is immunity?

      Immunity can be defined as protection from infection such as bacteria, virus, fungus, foreign body.

      There are different kinds of immunity.

      This topic is about how different parts of the bodies work together to keep us from getting sick.

      Immunity to some diseases is passed on from our mothers before we are born.

      Immunization (having the 'shots') helps the body's immune defense system protect us from diseases.

      The body's immune system

      Every body has an inbuilt immune system which protects it from diseases and germs.

      This system has a lot of different parts which work together to keep out any harmful germs, and attack and destroy any which manage to get inside the body

      Every day the body is exposed to millions of germs, and you do not get sick from them because of the immune system.

      We are surrounded by millions of bacteria, viruses and other microbes (germs) that have the potential to enter our bodies and cause harm.

      The immune system is the body's defense against pathogens (disease-causing microbes).

      The immune system is made up of non-specialized defenses such as skin and the acidic juice produced by the stomach.

      But it also has some highly specialized defenses which give you immunity against (resistance to) particular pathogens.

      These defenses are special white blood cells called lymphocytes.

      Other types of white blood cells play an important part in defending the body against infection.

      Every time you do get sick because of a germ, the immune system works to get rid of it and then it remembers how to fight the infection if the same germ comes again.

      Usually the older you get, the more germs you become immune to.

      So let's have a look at the immune system, starting from the outside of the body.

      A. General Defenses

      a. The skin

      The skin is the first line of defense in the immune system.

      Well the skin is like a plastic wrap to keep germs from getting into the body.

      The epidermis (outside layer of skin) has special cells which warn the body about incoming germs.

      Glands in the skin also make substances that can kill some bacteria (anti-bacterial chemicals).

      This means you do not get infections on the skin unless the skin is damaged, such as by a cut or a graze.

      b. Mucosal defenses

      The nose, mouth and eyes are the next point of attack.

      The mucous membranes which line the mouth, throat, lungs and bowel, act like a barrier to germs, just as the skin does.

      Saliva in the mouth and the tears which wash the eyes has special enzymes (chemicals) in them which break down the cell walls of many bacteria and viruses.

      The mucous, that is made in the nose, throat and lungs traps bacteria, viruses and dust.

      c. Chemical Defenses

      Acid in the stomach kills most germs, and starts to digest the food.

      d. Cough reflex

      Throat irritated by germs will be stimulated by the cough reflex to cough them out of the body

      e. Gut micro-organisms

      Good bacteria in the bacterial flora of the intestine like lactobacillus not only produce vitamins like vitamin K but also help to get rid of bad bacteria

      B. Types of Immune System

      The immune system is a network of cells, tissues and organs, found throughout the body that combats infectious disease and cancers.

      It is divided into 'innate' and 'adaptive' immune responses.

      a. Innate immunity

      The 'innate' (meaning: present from birth and operates throughout life) part of the immune system is so-called because it has a number of set strategies for recognizing and dealing with certain kinds of infection without needing to be trained to identify them.

      'Innate' immunity is quick to respond to certain general signs of infection, and includes certain specialized cells (phagocytes) able to track and 'eat' infective germs.

      The first part is the defenses you are born with.

      These form what are known as the innate system.

      The innate system is found in many different places around the body.

      First line of defense is the skin.

      Skin forms a waterproof barrier that prevents pathogens from entering the body

      The body cavities, such as the nose and mouth, are lined with mucous membranes.

      Mucous membranes produce sticky mucus which can trap bacteria and other pathogens.

      Other fluids produced by the body help to protect the internal layers from invasion by pathogens.

      Gastric juice produced by the stomach has high acidity which helps to kill off many of the bacteria in food.

      Saliva washes pathogens off the

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