Page 57 - The Miracle of the Immune System
P. 57
f an enemy overcomes all barriers and succeeds in entering our
body, this does not mean that the defence army has been defeat-
ed. On the contrary, the real war has just begun, and the main soldiers
come into play at this stage. The first soldiers to meet the foe are the eat-
er cells, that is, phagocytes, which continuously travel in our body and
keep control of what is going on.
These are "special cleaning cells", which ingest the unwanted mi-
crobes that have penetrated the inner surfaces of the body, and alert the
defence system when necessary.
Certain cells in the defence system capture, break down, digest, and
eliminate the miniscule particles and liquid foreign matter that have en-
tered our body. This event is called "phagocytosis". (cell engulfing)
Phagocytosis is one of the most important elements of the immune
system. It provides an immediate and effective protection against infec-
tions.
Phagocytes, considered the "police forces of the body," can be exam-
ined under two separate headings.
1. Mobile police forces: These roam in the blood and shuttle forwards
and backwards between the tissues when required. These cell units,
which circulate throughout the body, also serve as scavengers.
2. Immobile police forces: These are immobile macrophages, which
