Meh !

Our body is a shophisticated Castle

Scribbled on Saturday, June 21st, 2008

You heard it right, talk about unity and coordination, your body is an unanimous example of it. I would like to tell you about the amazing 3 line of defense that our body possess against all kinds of pathogens (disease causing micro organisms). There is nothing as sophisticated as our body.

• First Line of Defense - These are physical and chemical barriers such as sweat, skin, tears, mucus, stomach fluid etc. Much of the pathogens are filtered by the lining membrane between our skin and passages. Mucus trap pathogens which can then be killed by chemical released or washed away. Ear wax acts as a barrier to our fragile ear drums. Tears, sweat, wax and saliva contain chemicals and enzymes that can kill pathogens and even breakdown them into simple food particles for good.
• Second Line of Defense - Somehow a platoon of pathogen escaped the first line of defense, then our body can rely on 2nd line of defense. It starts with inflammatory response. Remember that sore and itchy feeling, swelling and redness ! Its not just pain but an indicator for you body defense and you to take care of yourself. Redness and heat are due to capillary dilation (the widening of blood vessels) so as to accommodate more blood in the infected part. Blood is a liquid tissue that functions as transportation, regulation and protection of the body. Swelling results due to passage of plasma (it contains various necessary proteins which are used while fighting pathogens) into the damaged infected tissue. The pain is due to the tissue destruction and to a lesser extent to swelling and mucus deposition.
• Third Line of Defense - Some elite pathogens may make it up to this long. They are heading now towards the last line of defense, your only hope to feel better. The immune system is the last wave of defense, its the most specialized assassin. So how does it fight ? It makes phagocytes (think them as elite warriors) and antibodies (think them as weapons) that are well versed with particular kind of pathogen. Third Line of Defense can distinguish between kinds of pathogens unlike the First and Second Line of Defense. For each type of pathogen the immune system makes a counter unit specialized for the same.

Ever wondered why chicken pox occurs only once in a life time, if ever. Thats because first time  one is infected with chicken pox, the immune system recognizes the antigen associated with foreign chicken pox cells and creates antibodies (storing the information too in a database) to deactivate them. So the next time same chicken pox cells enters it already has antibodies and required information to tackle it.

Chicken pox vaccination applies the same principle. It contains attenuated or half-dead strains of chicken pox cells. Which when taken as vaccine causes the immune system to make antibodies and storing the information for future reference.

The whole idea of immunity is to distinguish between foreign substances and its own substances. Look there are so many micro beings working without a break for our well being

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