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UNIT 03:
DEFENSE
MECHANISMS
OF THE
BODY
 Skin and Mucous Membrane in
Non-specific Resistance Rubina Saleem
 Process of Phagocytosis Sr.
 Specific Resistance, Innate
Resistance And Immunity Instructor
 Distinguish Between Primary And
Secondary Immune Response
 Delayed And Immediate
Hypersensitivity
 OBJECTIVES
:
At the completion of this unit learners will be able to:
1. Explain the role of good health in protection against the microbial
infection.
2. Define resistance and susceptibility.
3. Define nonspecific resistance.
4. Describe the role of the skin and mucous membrane in non-specific
resistance.
5. Explain the process of phagocytosis.
6. Define the specific resistance, innate resistance and immunity.
7. Explain four types of acquired immunity.
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 Objectives: (cont.
…)

At the completion of this unit learners will be able to:

8. Differentiate between humoral and cell mediated immunity.
9. Define antigens and antibodies.
10. List the five classes of antibodies and their functions.

11. Explain the role of memory, tolerance and specificity in immunity.

12. Distinguish between primary and secondary immune response.

13. Define Hypersensitivity.

14. Differentiate between delayed and immediate Hypersensitivity.

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 DEFENSE SYST
EM
SUMMARY
DIVIDED INTO
Non Specific
specific
is
Divided into
3rd line
1st line 2nd line through
eg are produce
lymphocyte antibod
Phagocyte
y
• Skin Carry out
immunity gives
•mucous Phagocytosis
membrane

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 LINES OF
DEFENSE
The human body has three lines of defense
 Physical Barriers ( Skin, Mucous Membrane, Hairs)
 Defensive Cells & Proteins, Inflammation, and Fever
 The Immune System

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 Body defenses
2 categories:
4 two general
categories
2 1. INNATE (NONSPECIFIC)
5 o Nonspecific resistance
DEFENSE refers to the body's general mechanisms of
defense against pathogens that do not depend on recognition of specific
antigens.

o All humans are born with innate immunity that including

physical barriers, like skin, chemicals, like stomach acid and
tears, and
generalized white blood cells, like macrophages.

Mechanisms of physical barriers of innate immune responses:

inflammation and phagocytosis.
 2 2. ADAPTIVE
(SPECIFIC)DEFENSE
 6Specific defenses are more precise and
pathogens
target to provide adaptive (specific)
specific
immunity.
defense or
• In this type of defense, specialized
foreign molecules
lymphocytes recognizeand act against them.

• Specific defenses depend on the activity of

lymphocytes.
Both innate and adaptive defense
mechanisms work together to fight infection.
Innate defenses act more rapidly than
adaptive defenses.
Sum -
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Innate Nonspecific Host Defenses

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Review the
Concept
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Innate Nonspecific Host Defenses

Learning Objectives:
Describe the role of the skin and mucous membrane in non-specific
resistance.

• Describe the various physical barriers and mechanical defenses that

protect the human body against infection and disease
• Describe the role of microbiota as a first-line defense against
infection and disease
Describe the role of the skin and
membrane in non-specific
mucous
resistance.
Physical defenses provide the body’s most basic form of nonspecific
defense.

• They include physical barriers to microbes, such as the skin and mucous
membranes, as well as mechanical defenses that physically remove
microbes and debris from areas of the body where they might cause
harm or infection.

• the microbiome provides a measure of physical protection against

disease, as microbes of the normal microbiota compete with pathogens
for nutrients and cellular binding sites necessary to cause infection.
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3 NONSPECIFIC INNATE IMMUNITY:
THREE CATEGORIES
Nonspecific innate immunity can be characterized as a
multifaceted system of defenses that targets invading
pathogens in a nonspecific manner.

 Physical Defense

 Chemical Defiance, And

 Cellular Defense
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Table 1. Overview of Nonspecific Innate Immune
Defenses
Physical Physical barriers
defense Mechanical defense
Microbiome
Chemical Chemicals and enzymes in body
defense fluids
Antimicrobial peptides
Plasma protein mediators
Cytokines
Inflammation-eliciting mediators
Cellular Granulocytes
defense Agranulocytes
it is important to keep in mind that these defenses do not
function independently, and the categories often overlap.
PROTECTIVE MECHANISMS IN
EPITHELIA

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ROLE OF SKIN AND MUCOUS MEMBRANE IN
NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE:

The skin forms a physical barrier that

prevents pathogens from entering the
body, while mucous membranes lining
the respiratory, digestive, and urogenital
tracts produce mucus and other
secretions that trap and remove
pathogens.

Both act as the first line of defense

against
microbial invasion.

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EXPLAIN THE
PROCESS OF
PHAGOCYTOSIS.

Phagocytes are type of WBC (white blood cells).White blood cells are also
called leukocytes. They protect you against illness and disease. Think of white
blood cells as your immunity cells.

• Phagocytosis is the process by which certain cells, such as macrophages and

neutrophils, engulf and digest foreign particles, including pathogens.
• It begins with the recognition and attachment of the pathogen by the
phagocyte, followed by engulfment into a vesicle called a phagosome.
• The phagosome then fuses with lysosomes containing digestive enzymes,
forming a phagolysosome where the pathogen is degraded and destroyed
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Process of Phagocytosis:

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In39nate or Adaptive Cell
Type:
W4H0 AT DO BLOOD
CELL COUNTS TELL US
P
AFri TstE
ABOUT I anNd TsecHonEdA-ilLnTeHde?fenses are
part of the
innate immune system, whereas the third-line
defenses are referred to as the adaptive
immune system. Many leukocytes (white blood
cells) coordinate efforts in controlling infections
in the second and third lines of immune
defense.

High White Blood Cell Counts

A high white blood cell count shows the patient is producing a higher than
average number of leukocytes.
 This typically occurs when the patient battles a bacterial infection.
 Stem from autoimmune disorders that result in too much inflammatory
response, such
as rheumatoid arthritis, and from leukemia, a cancer of the blood.
 Some drugs can cause high white blood cell counts as a side effect; these include
ANTIGENS AND
ANATnB
I tiOgeDnIsE:SM: olecules that can stimulate the
and induce
immune an immune response, often proteins or
system
polysaccharides found on the surface of pathogens or
foreign substances.

Antibodies: Proteins produced by B cells in response to

specific antigens. Also known as immunoglobulin,
antibodies bind to antigens and help neutralize or
eliminate them from the body.
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 FIVE CLASSES OF ANTIBODIES AND THEIR
FUNCTIONS:
IgM: First antibody produced during primary immune response; activates
complement system.

IgG: Most abundant antibody in blood; provides long-term immunity and crosses
the placenta to protect the fetus.

IgA: Found in mucosal secretions (e.g., saliva, tears, breast milk);

provides localized immunity.

IgE: Involved in allergic reactions and defense against parasites.

IgD: Found on the surface of B cells; role in B cell

activation. 4
ROLE OF MEMORY, TOLERANCE, AND SPECIFICITY IN
IMMUNITY:
Memory: The ability of the immune system to "remember"
previous encounters with specific pathogens, enabling a
faster and stronger response upon re-exposure.

Tolerance: The ability of the immune system to recognize

and tolerate the body's own cells and tissues,
preventing autoimmune reactions.

Specificity: The ability of the immune system to

distinguish between different antigens and mount
against each one.
specific responses 4
 PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY IMMUNE
RESPONSE:

Primary Immune Response: The initial immune response to a

specific antigen, characterized by the production of antibodies and
activation of immune cells. It typically takes several days to develop.

Secondary Immune Response: A more rapid and robust

immune response that occurs upon re-exposure to the same
antigen. It is mediated by memory cells generated during the
primary response and provides long-lasting immunity.

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 HYPERSENSITIVI
TY:
Hypersensitivity refers to an exaggerated or inappropriate
immune response to a harmless antigen, leading to tissue
damage and various clinical symptoms. It is classified into
four types (I-IV) based on the underlying immune
mechanisms.

Type I: reaction mediated by IgE antibodies.

Type II: cytotoxic reaction mediated by IgG or IgM antibodies.
Type III: reaction mediated by immune complexes.
Type IV: delayed reaction mediated by cellular response.

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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DELAYED AND IMMEDIATE
HYPERSENSITIVITY:

Immediate Hypersensitivity (Type I): Characterized by an immediate allergic

reaction triggered by the release of histamine and other mediators from mast
cells and basophils. Examples include allergic rhinitis and anaphylaxis.

Delayed Hypersensitivity (Type IV): Mediated by T cells and occurs hours to

days after exposure to the antigen. It involves the recruitment of inflammatory
cells to the site of antigen exposure and is associated with conditions like
contact dermatitis and tuberculin skin tests.

Irritant or allergic conjunctivitis: Related definition: eg. Eye;

An allergen or irritant, such as pollen or chlorine, comes into
contact with the eye, triggering irritation and
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HUMORAL AND CELL-MEDIATED
IMMUNITY:
Humoral Immunity: Mediated by antibodies produced by B cells,
which circulate in the blood and lymph. It primarily targets
extracellular pathogens and their toxins.

Cell-Mediated Immunity: Mediated by T cells, which directly

attack infected cells and regulate immune responses. It is effective
against intracellular pathogens, such as viruses and certain bacteria,
as well as tumor cells.

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 References:

Tortora, J. G., & Funke, R. B. (2014). Microbiology an

Introduction. 12th ed New York: The Benjamin / Cumming.

Gladwin, M. (2017). Clinical Microbiology made ridiculously

simple. 6th ed Singapore: Med Master.
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Thank You