FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
These cells are among the first responders and engulf bacteria by digesting them.
Macrophages
These cells can consume up to 100 bacteria before becoming exhausted.
Macrophages
This visible symptom occurs when blood vessels leak fluid into tissue during infection.
Swelling
This system provides a targeted response to a specific pathogen.
Adaptive immune system
These cells remain after infection to provide faster future responses.
Memory cells
These chemical signals are released by damaged cells to activate the immune response.
Inflammatory signals / cytokines
These short-lived immune cells release toxic chemicals and may destroy themselves to kill pathogens.
Neutrophils
This is the process by which immune cells engulf and digest bacteria.
Phagocytosis
These cells rapidly multiply after recognizing a specific pathogen.
Helper T cells
This process allows the immune system to “remember” a pathogen.
Immune memory
This physical event allows immune components to flood an injured area, causing redness and swelling.
Inflammation
These cells act as “intelligence officers” by collecting pathogen fragments and presenting them to other immune cells.
Dendritic cells
These immune cells can release DNA traps to capture and kill bacteria.
Neutrophils
These proteins bind to pathogens, making them easier to destroy.
Antibodies
These cells continue to produce small amounts of antibodies after an infection is resolved.
Memory B cells
These proteins circulate in the blood and destroy bacteria by creating holes in them.
Complement proteins
These cells function as commanders that coordinate the immune response.
Helper T cells
This is the unintended damage to healthy tissue caused by an aggressive immune response.
Collateral damage
This structure is where immune cells are activated and coordinated.
Lymph nodes
This is the result of a successful immune response that prevents reinfection.
Immunity
This type of immune response acts immediately but is not specific to a particular pathogen.
Innate immune response
These cells produce antibodies that specifically target pathogens.
B cells
These chemical signals allow immune cells to communicate and coordinate an attack.
Cytokines
These cells can produce thousands of antibodies per second once activated.
B cells
This type of immunity can last for years or even a lifetime after exposure to a pathogen.
Long-term immunity