ImmunITY check-Basic

Whenever we fall sick, there is a natural mechanism in the body which helps us recover to good health. This mechanism of the body to fight the disease-causing germs and make us healthy again, is known as the immune system.

The immune system is the body's defence system against infections and consists of a complex network of cells and proteins. Not only does it fight infections, but it also, keeps a record of every germ / bacteria it has ever defeated so it can recognise and destroy it quickly if it enters the body again. Doesn’t that sound interesting!

Well, these cells and proteins are actually dispersed throughout the body to provide rapid responses to infection. They travel through the bloodstream or in specialized vessels called lymphatics and help fight the infecting organism.

The main cells that fight infections are the White blood cells present in the blood. They are also known as Leucocytes and they are of many types.

Lymphocytes - help the body remember the micro-organism and destroy them. They are of 2 types – B cells and T cells:

B lymphocytes are like the body's military intelligence system — they find their targets and send defences to lock onto them. They arise in the bone marrow and differentiate into plasma cells which in turn produce immunoglobulins or antibodies against the micro-organism. Once they are made, antibodies usually stay in our bodies in case we have to fight the same germ again. That is why someone who gets sick with a disease, like chickenpox, measles, etc. usually won't get sick from it again.

T lymphocytes are like the soldiers. They destroy the invaders that the system finds. They mature in the thymus and are responsible for killing infected cells.

Immunoglobulins - are highly specialized protein molecules, also known as antibodies. They act as a critical part of the immune response by specifically recognizing and binding to bacteria or virus’ antigens and aiding in their destruction.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most abundant type of antibody, is found in all body fluids and protects against bacterial and viral infections.

Immunoglobulin M (IgM), which is found mainly in the blood and lymph fluid, is the first antibody to be made by the body to fight a new infection. It tells us if you have encountered any infection recently.

Neutrophils - A type of cell found in the blood stream that rapidly ingests microorganisms and kills them.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a test that measures the degree of inflammation present in the body. Inflammation is part of the body's immune response. It can be acute, developing rapidly after trauma, injury or infection, or can be chronic in conditions such as autoimmune diseases or cancer.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein made by the liver. CRP levels in the blood increase when there is a condition causing inflammation somewhere in the body. A CRP test measures the amount of CRP in the blood to detect inflammation due to acute conditions or to monitor the severity of disease in chronic conditions.