The Immune System: An Overview

Abstract

On a daily basis your body is exposed to millions of different microorganisms, while a majority of them are not harmful to us, there are those that do cause illness. While it is undeniable that we come into contact with these harmful microorganisms in our life, our body has a very unique and complex way of trying to protect us from them. It is the strength and ability of our body to fight off these potentially dangerous organisms that determines whether or not we get sick from them. The name of this defense system in our body is called the immune system, which is a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body (Durani). The resulting actions of this network when exposed to these infectious germs is better known as the immune response. This response is often broken into two different sections, the innate response, and the adaptive response; while it is to note that these two responses are different, it is important to keep in mind they work together often simultaneously in order to fight off the intruder.