The Immune

system
Chapter 10
Mrs. Reem Alghorab
What is immunity?

The immune system consists of many biological structures and

processes within an organism that protects against disease.
It detects wide variety of agents known as pathogens and distinguish
them from the body’s own health tissue.
What is a pathogen?
It is a disease-causing organism.
The person in which the pathogen lives and breeds is the host.
Effect of pathogen on a host:
1. Pathogens live in the body cells, damaging them and using up their
resources.
2. Produce toxins spreading around the body and causing symptoms as
fever and rashes while feeling ill.
• Cholera
• Tuberculosis
• Tetanus

• Amoebic
dysentery
 A R A I C O P H A R M A C EUTI C A L | V A C C I NES

What is a transmissible
These are immunity inducers.
disease?
A disease in which the pathogen can be passed from one host
to another.
The entry of a pathogen into the body is called infection.
May be transmitted through:
❑ Direct contact
❑ Indirectly
❑ Through vector
 How pathogen enters a body:

Modes of transmission

Indirect Vector Direct

Direct contact/
Food Water organism carries Sexual
Air pathogen from one host intercourse/ blood surfaces
to blood contact
to another

Salmonella Influenza Cholera Athlete’s

polio Malaria foot
(mosquito)/ HIV
Rabies (dogs)
Vectors
Levels of immunity

1. Non-specific immunity
First line of defense:

Mechanical Chemical Biological

barrier barrier barrier
• Hair in nostrils • Stomach acid • Intestinal flora
• Intact skin • Mucus in nose • Oral flora
• Blood clots • Saliva, sweat and
tears
Levels of immunity

1. Non-specific immunity

Second line of defense:

2. Phagocytosis
❖ Inflammation causes increased blood flow,
plasma infiltration along with phagocytes
(neutrophils and monocytes) which engulf
pathogens and foreign bodies.
 Levels of immunity

2. Specific immunity
Third line of defense:
❖ The immune system recognizes attacks and remember each pathogen entering the body.
❖ For each type of pathogen, the body produces cells specific for this pathogen.
❖ Lymphocytes are responsible for eliciting an immune response.
❖ Antibody: it is a protein molecule (Y-shaped) secreted by B-lymphocytes. It has a complementary
shape that fits only into molecules on the outer surface of a pathogen called antigen.
❖ Antigen: a pathogen macromolecule recognized as foreign by the body, that elicit an immune
response and can fit to the specifically produced antibody made by lymphocytes.
To RECAP……
 Functions of antibodies:

i. Bind to antigens on pathogens’ surface and directly kills the

pathogen.
ii. Agglutinate (stick) the pathogens together. This stops the
pathogens from dividing or moving, making it easier for
phagocytes to destroy them.
iii. Neutralize toxins released by pathogens.
 What happens when a pathogen enters the body
What happens when a pathogen
enters the body?
− The pathogen is likely to meet a large number of
lymphocytes.
− A lymphocyte comes in contact with an antigen on the
pathogens surface that can fit into the antibody it
makes.
− This lymphocyte will start to divide rapidly by mitosis,
making a clone of lymphocytes just like itself.
− These lymphocytes then secrete their antibody,
destroying the pathogen.
Some of the lymphocytes from a
Memory cells
previous immune response
will remain in the blood and
other parts of the body as
memory cells.

They are responsible for eliciting a

fast immune secondary
response.
 Types of immunity

Passive Immunity

You don’t produce antibodies.

When one makes his/her own
They pass thru placenta from mother to
antibodies after having a disease or
baby or via breastfeeding then eventually
vaccination (long term immunity)
destroyed.
(short term immunity)
Vaccination

Weakened antigen introduced into the body. Produce

memory cells for long term immunity.

Vaccines can contain:

o Weakened pathogens to make them harmless.
o Harmless fragments of the pathogen antigens.
o Toxins produced by the pathogen.
o Dead pathogens.

A R A I C O P H A R M A C EUTI C A L | V A C C I NES
 Controlling disease by vaccination
Smallpox

poliomyelitis

Measles
 Controlling disease by vaccination
Smallpox

Caused by a virus. It is
transmitted by direct
poliomyelitis contact. If a person survives
smallpox, they are often left
with badly scarred skin,
infects children, and and may be made blind.
usually leaves them with
permanent paralysis of
parts of their body. it can
be given by mouth.

viral infection, spread by airborne

droplets. It causes a skin rash and
fever, and there can be very severe
Measles complications, such as blindness and
brain damage.
Herd immunity

● works because there are fewer places for the viruses to replicate –
they can only do so if they enter the body of an unvaccinated person.
Covid-19 virus

SARS-COV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome

coronavirus 2)

❖ They are spherical viruses with protein spikes sticking out.

❖ The spikes help the virus to attach to human cells.
❖ The illness this virus causes is very severe and often fatal.
 Covid-19 virus

Mode of transmission:
❖ In air droplets when a person cough or sneezes.
❖ By touching an infected surface as the virus can last for
several days on hard surfaces as door knobs, then the
virus gets into the respiratory system if the person
touches their mouth or eyes.
❖ From a carrier person with no symptoms.

Infection results in:

❖ Fast spread of the disease causing a pandemic (disease all
over the world)
❖ Mild symptoms mostly.
❖ Great difficulty in breathing.
❖ Many people die, even with good medical care.
 Covid-19 virus

Preventive measures:

❖ Many countries asked people to stay home and not

travel.
❖ Medical tests for people to find out who has the virus.
❖ People who tested positive were asked to isolate
themselves for 14 days.
❖ Wear mask on going out to reduce risk of passing the
virus to someone else or catching the virus yourself.
 Sanitation means:
Sanitation and Hygienic measures for preventing human contact from hazards of waste

Hygiene to promote health. Ex. Of wastes: Faeces, solid wastes, domestic

wastewater, industrial waste.

Good-health guidelines:

• Don’t smoke.
• Eat healthy diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain healthy weight.
• Control your blood pressure.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Wash hands frequently, cook meat thoroughly.
• Get regular check-ups.
 How can we protect ourselves against infections?
Sanitation and
Hygiene
1. Food hygiene
2. Personal hygiene
3. Waste management
4. Sewage treatment
 1. Food hygiene:
Sanitation and To prevent someone from getting food poisoning.

Hygiene
Hygienic food preparation guidelines:

• Wash hands before touching food.

• Cover hair when working in food-operation.
• Never cough or sneeze over food.
• Keep animals away from food (houseflies, rats and mice).
• Don’t keep foods at room temperature for long.
• Keep raw meat away from other foods.
 2. Personal hygiene:
Sanitation and Keeping your body clean reduces the risk of getting a disease.

Hygiene
Personal hygiene guidelines:

• Washing regularly using soap and water to eliminate the oils,

dirt and sweat on the skin as they provide good breeding
environment for bacteria.
• Brushing teeth and using mouthwashes.
 3. Waste management:
Sanitation and Reusing waste to reduce the need for new supplies of resources.

Hygiene Recycling reduces the total volume of wastes requiring disposal.

What is Waste disposal?

❖ Collecting wastes to landfills.
❖ Landfill sites should be safe and well managed.
❖ Checking rubbish for dangerous materials.
❖ Compact rubbish to reduce space.
❖ Decomposers rot rubbish in landfill sites producing a flammable gas
called methane. Thus, pipes should be placed in rubbish to allow
methane to escape harmlessly into the air or collected and used as
fuel.
❖ Cover landfill sites with soil and grass
 4. Sewage/ waste water treatment
Sanitation
1. Sewage should not be allowed to run into
rivers or sea before treatment (raw
sewage).
2. Raw sewage contains many bacteria and
microorganisms.
3. These pathogens may cause illness to
people when get in contact with it example
poliomyelitis and cholera.
 Cholera:

• Caused by bacterium Vibrio Cholerae.

• It is an endemic disease in countries where untreated sewage is discharged into water supplies.

Mode of transmission:
• Via contaminated drinking water.
• If infected people handle food without washing
their hands.
Mode of action:
• Cholera bacteria are ingested and multiply.
• The bacteria attach to the wall of the
alimentary canal.
• The bacteria release toxins.
• The toxin causes chloride ions to be released
lowering the water potential in the intestine
lumen more than water potential of blood.
• The release of ions cause water to move into
the lumen by osmosis.
• Watery faeces (diarrhea) occurs and the blood
contains too little Cland water.
 Symptoms:
Can appear few hours to few days after incubation:
• Severe diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Rapid heart rate and low blood pressure
• Muscle cramps
Treatment: • Loss of fluids resulting in shock/death.

• ORT restoring the osmotic balance in blood

and tissue fluid.

Prevention:
• Providing clean drinking water
• Building sanitation facilities (lavatories)
• Constructing sewage treatment systems.
• Good hygiene
Thanks!

Any questions?
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