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Body's Defense System definitions

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  • Skin
    Acts as a physical shield, preventing harmful microorganisms from entering the body and causing infection.
  • Hair
    Traps particles and pathogens, especially in areas like the nose, reducing their entry into the body.
  • Mucus Lining
    Protects underlying tissues and traps pathogens, aiding in their removal from the body.
  • Sweat
    Contains chemicals that can kill pathogens on the skin, contributing to the body's chemical defense.
  • Tears
    Wash away microorganisms from the eyes and contain substances that destroy pathogens.
  • Stomach Acid
    Highly acidic environment that degrades and destroys many types of ingested pathogens.
  • Gut Microbiome
    Community of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract that competes with and suppresses harmful invaders.
  • Immune System
    Complex network of cells and processes that activates to eliminate pathogens that bypass initial barriers.
  • Innate Immunity
    Nonspecific, immediate defense present from birth, using cells to catch and destroy invaders.
  • Adaptive Immunity
    Specialized defense that evolves over time, targeting specific pathogens and creating long-term protection.
  • Neutrophil
    Type of white blood cell that rapidly responds to infections by engulfing and destroying pathogens.
  • Macrophage
    Large phagocytic cell that engulfs pathogens and dead cells, playing a key role in innate defense.
  • Natural Killer Cell
    Immune cell that identifies and destroys infected or abnormal cells without prior exposure.
  • Lymphocyte
    White blood cell involved in adaptive immunity, including B and T cells that target specific invaders.
  • Antibody
    Y-shaped protein produced by certain immune cells that binds to antigens, neutralizing or marking them for destruction.
  • Antigen
    Molecule on cell surfaces recognized by the immune system as foreign, triggering a targeted response.
  • Memory Cell
    Long-lived immune cell that retains information about past invaders, enabling faster future responses.