Immune System Parts (By Jodi M)

It is important to know what your immune system is and how it works to help strengthen and protect your body against illnesses. The immune system is sometimes referred to as the lymphatic system it is an integrated body system of organs, tissues, cells, and cell products that differentiates self from non-self and neutralizes potentially pathogenic organisms or substances.Your immune system is your body’s natural defense against infection and the common cold.

Your immune system is made up of specialized cells and organs that all work together to protect your body and keep you healthy. The main organs and cells of the immune system are white blood cells, leukocytes, the bone marrow, Thymus, Spleen, Lymph Nodes, and T-Cells. Understanding these different parts and how they all work together will help you learn how to protect your immune system health.

The most important part of the immune system is probably either the white blood cells or leukocytes. The leukocytes are the actual cells that remember previous germs and attack them. Some specialized leukocytes are B-cells, which find germs, and T-cells, which are sent by the B-cells to kill germs.

Leukocytes are formed in your bone marrow. Once they have been developed, they either stay there and become B-cells, or they take a short trip to the thymus gland, where they will become T-cells. Taking or eating lots of Vitamin C can help with the production of leukocytes. White blood cells, as you can guess, reach germs via the bloodstream. The immune system finds germs and signals to the rest of the immune system to concentrate more white blood cells there. This is actually why when you get a cut or a scrape, it will turn pink around the wound. Blood rushes to the site of a germ or injury, and white blood cells attack any germs they find. This also happens when you get sick, which is why people get runny noses. Instead of bleeding and losing precious red blood cells for a simple cold, the body produces mucus and lets the white blood cells do their job that way.

The Bone Marrow is important because this is where all the specialized cells of the immune system are formed and it’s also where they mature. When they are fully matured, they will move into the blood stream where they do their work. The Thymus is a small but very important organ because it is where lymphocyte precursors become thymocytes, which eventually turn into T-cells.The lymph nodes are important because they filter foreign material from the lymph fluid. There are two important types of T-cells. Helper cells and killer cells. Helper T-cells are the major driving force and main regulators of the immune defense. The killer T cell specializes in attacking cells of the body infected by viruses and sometimes also by bacteria. It can also attack cancer cells.

All the parts of the immune system are very complicated in their role and functions in our body. These are some of the most vital parts of our immune systems, simplified so that you know how to keep your immune system healthy and working efficiently and so that you understand a little bit better how our immune system works.