Your immune system is an extremely complex and elaborate network made up of cells, tissues and organs. This awesome arrangement normally works in beautiful concert defending you against infectious diseases and other invaders.
Immune cells, aka white blood cells, hunt down and destroy disease causing intruders. The basic types are:
- phagocytes ~ chew up
- T cell lymphocytes ~ destroy
- B cell lymphocytes ~ seek out
The most common type of phagocytes are neutrophils, and their primary role is to combat bacteria.
Immune cells are always circulating, either in your lymphatic or blood vessels. They’re searching for anything that may cause you health problems, i.e. viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, toxins and toxic stuff. And once discovered, several types of cells work together to respond.
B cells produce antibodies that lock with previously fought antigens for instantaneous destruction, what’s referred to as immunity. And this is also how immunizations work to prevent certain diseases. And T cells kill infection causing antigens that haven’t been previously identified for antibody production.
However, sometimes how your immune system basically works can run afoul and actually cause you health issues, as is the case with autoimmune diseases.
