Page 6 - Autoimmune diseases
P. 6
Two types of immune responses
Because certain types of invaders are more
prevalent inside the cells and others are more
prevalent outside of the cells, the immune system
has two types of systems or responses (Actually it
has far more than two but for simplicity's sake, we
will consider it two for now to make it easier to
understand.) In immunology, these two types of
responses are called TH1 (type 1) and TH2 (type
2).
Type 1 or cellular immunity is the immune
response that is effective when a microorganism
has invaded the cells. This includes viral and fungal
infections.
Type 2 or humoral immunity is more directed at
microorganisms found in the blood or in the
extracellular space (The fluidic space which
surrounds each of your cells). This type of immune
response is better at dealing with bacteria and
parasites.
The immune system is designed to be flexible
and adaptable. It should be able to oscillate
between type 1 and type 2 responses depending on
