Non-Specific Defenses Against
Diseases
 Barriers to infection, including skin and mucous
membranes.
 Inflammation, triggered by the release of
chemical substances from injured cells.
 Fever, a response to infection that can increase
body temperature, helping to kill bacteria.
 Role of macrophages, white blood cells that
engulf and digest bacteria and other foreign
particles.
First Line of Defenses
 Physical barriers, including skin and mucous
membranes
 Chemical barriers such as gastric acid, tears and
sweat
 Normal flora, which compete with pathogens
for food and space
 Phagocytes, which engulf and digest bacteria
and foreign particles
Macrophages
Second Line of Defenses
 Inflammation, triggered by the release of
chemical substances from injured cells
 Fever, a response to infection that can increase
body temperature, killing bacteria
 Role of macrophages, white blood cells that
engulf and digest bacteria and other foreign
particles
 Interferon, a protein released by cells that help
to protect neighboring cells
SPECIFIC IMMUNITY
01
02
03
Acquired immunity and
sensitivity to antigens
Roles of different types of
immune cells, including B
cells and T cells
Immunoglobulins,
antibodies produced by B
cells (Laksono, et al.,
2020, 32).
04
05
Self-recognition and
tolerance to own tissues
Rejection of transplanted
organs
Immunoglobulins Types
Self-recognition and Tolerance To Own Tissues and
Rejection of Transplanted Organs.
Self-recognition or selftolerance, the body's ability to
recognize and tolerate its
tissues (Wolfe, 2020, p.6)
Mechanism for rejecting
foreign tissues, such as
transplanted organs
Mediated by different immune
cells, including B cells and T cells,
which recognize and respond to
specific antigens
Immune system identifies
foreign tissue as an invader
and mobilizes the body's
defenses to reject it.
Specific Immune System Disorders
Rheumatoid arthritis
Autoimmune disorder in
which the body's
immune system
mistakenly attacks the
joints
lupus
Autoimmune disorder in
which the body's
immune system
mistakenly attacks its
tissues
Categories Of Acquired Immunity
01
Natural
03
Active
02
Artificial
04
Passive
Immune Response To Vaccination
• Vaccination introduces an antigen into the
body to stimulate an immune response
• Antibodies produced by B cells and T cells
help to identify and destroy foreign materials
• Immunological memory, the body's ability to
remember an antigen and respond more
quickly to it in the future (Laksono, et al.,
2020, 32)
• Vaccines are an effective way to stimulate
the body's immune response and help to
protect the body from infection and disease
Benefits Of Vaccination In The UK
 Prior to the introduction of the
measles vaccine in 1968, measles
infections were rampant in the UK
 Since the introduction of the
vaccine, measles infection rates
have steadily declined (Laksono,
et al., 2020, 32)
 Measles deaths in the UK
decreased by 99.7% between
1940 and 2017
 Vaccination is an effective way to
protect the body from infection
and disease
Herd Immunity, Vaccination Programs And Factors Affecting
Vaccine Uptake.
Herd immunity
Vaccination programs
When a large enough
percentage of a population is
vaccinated against a disease,
it helps to protect those who
are not vaccinated
Help to increase the number
of individuals who are
vaccinated (Laksono, et al.,
2020, 32)
Factors affecting
vaccine uptake
Cost, access to healthcare,
and public education
References
Laksono, B.M., de Vries, R.D., Duprex, W.P. and de Swart, R.L., 2020. Measles pathogenesis,
immune suppression and animal models. Current Opinion in Virology, 41, pp.31-37.
Liston, A., Humblet-Baron, S., Duffy, D. and Goris, A., 2021. Human immune diversity: from
evolution to modernity. Nature immunology, 22(12), pp.1479-1489.
Wolfe, C.R., 2020. Introduction to Immunosuppression, Tolerance, and Infection
Risk. Emerging Transplant Infections: Clinical Challenges and Implications, pp.1-14.