What are the steps in the immune response?

Answer 1

Immune response is formed of two main responses: Passive Response and Active Response.

Say you caught a bacterial infection: Bronchitis for example.

The first line of defense is Passive Response, which is basically the way your body tries to stop the bacteria getting in, in the first place. This is done by (in the case of bronchitis) cilia cells. These are tiny microscopic hairs which catch bacteria in their mucus covering and the hairs sweep them up into your mouth. This is why you cough up mucus when you are feeling slightly unwell.

Secondly, Active Response. This is when your body is treating the infection. In the case of bronchitis two types of microbes are released. Microflagesspelling needed and lymphocytes.

The lymphocytes are the first ones there. They can do two things, either call in other lymphocytes or start treating it. They would treat it by calling in a whit blood cell and making it produce antibodies. These antibodies are hard to make if the disease is completely new, as the antigens on the bacterium aren't recognized. The antibodies are the main fighting force against the infection.

Going back to microflages, they go into the action at the end of the infection. Their job is to clean up the dead bacteria and kill any remaining ones by eating them.

Microflages do this same job when you get a bruise. You get punched and blood rises to the surface. Then after a while it go's yellow, this is because this is the colour microflages take when they have eaten the blood cells!

Hope this answer wasn't too long or boring!