Immunology is one of the rapidly growing medical fields at present. It is used to treat several auto-immune and related ailments. If you are also interested in this segment of medical science, then you must be wondering about the immune system and its major components. To find the answer, you can check out the post wherein Dr. Kanury Rao – a well-known immunologist, researcher, and scholar has described everything one needs to know about immunology, the immune system, and its related aspects.
So, let us begin.
Understanding the immune system and immunology
Before we shed light on immunology, let us first tell you about the immune system. It is a multifaceted network that consists of organs, tissues, and cells. All these coordinate, communicate and work together to provide our body a natural safety shield against various threats such as viruses, bacteria, and even cancer cells. But when this network comes across an error, you will start feeling sick as our natural antigens become disabled to fight foreign elements. This is where immunology comes into the light.
According to the country’s prominent immunologist – Kanury Rao, immunology is nothing but the study of the (human) immune system. In addition to this, some courses are focused on the research of the immune system along with its association with health. By harnessing the immune system’s power, immunology researchers usually find improved yet newer ways to treat and prevent diseases. Along with this, they work on the findings that can be used to make overall well-being better.
What are the main branches of our immune system?
The immune system of the human body is mainly divided into two branches. These include the innate and the adaptive immune systems. Some more details of the same have been listed below:
As the name suggests, innate immunity is available since birth. It provides an additional safety layer to the body against several issues including pathogens. Once these pathogens attack our body, innate immunity is activated to keep it safe. The main goal of innate immunity is to instantly prevent the body from foreign invaders and control its spread. In case it has already caused damage, the innate immune system will try harder to prevent further damage.
How does it react? This will become reactive when your body has the necessary antibodies to offer a safety layer against various common pathogens. This system increases the body’s blood flow and triggers inflammation to allow the immune cells around the affected areas. The innate system offers physical barriers to various infections such as stomach acid, bile, mucus, and skin.
This is also called acquired immunity which you gain when you grow. The adaptive immune system is quite specific to a particular type of pathogens. However, the response of this immune system is slower than the innate one. However, the benefits provided by this immune system are custom-made.
The adaptive system lets your immune cells take off a quite coordinated, effective, and long-lasting attack. This immunity develops when you are exposed to a new pathogen. When this immune system is combined with the innate immune system, the safety layers offer 360-degree protection against various threats inside and out – Kanury Rao.
What are the main components of the human immune system?
The immune system is made of several components. These are divided into tissues and organs along with cells. Below, we have outlined the same. Have a look:
Tissuzs and organs
These are associated with the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. Detailed information has been given below:
In addition to these, organs and tissues include the thymus, spleen, tonsils, and Peyer’s patches. You can also check out the research papers of Dr. Kanury Rao to know more about the same.
Cells and related molecules
Along with tissues and organs, our immune system also consists of certain immune cells and molecules. These include the following:
Apart from these cells, the immune system also contains NK cells, dendritic cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, antigens, antibodies, cytokines, phagocytes, eosinophils, macrophages, basophils, neutrophils, mast cells, and so on.
Finally,
The immune system is all about helping our body to fight against various ailments, diseases, and infections. When this system is affected by pathogens or external attacks, our body feels sick. However, this can be fixed through immunology. In case you are looking for more details about the immune system and immunology, you can check out the research papers by Kanury Rao.