26. The Human Immune System -- Part 1 of 4: Gross Anatomy of the Immune System

Part 1: Gross Anatomy of the Immune System

This is the best and most complete diagram I could find. It is in Spanish. Refer to it while reading the text below.

http://alternativa-med.com/html/assets/images/autogen/a_bild_inmune_sistemas.jpg



1. Not shown here, but your SKIN is part of your defense system because it is a barrier to microbes. That's why when you have a cut or break in the skin, you have to keep clean to prevent infection.

2. One line points to a leg bone. Some bones have a soft interior called the BONE MARROW. This is where you will find STEM CELLS. Stem cells are the parent cells that divide to produce EVERY TYPE of BLOOD CELL, which includes RED BLOOD CELLS (RBC) and the many types of WHITE BLOOD CELLS (WBC). Anytime you see that something damages your bone marrow, which is very vulnerable to chemical and radiation damage, the impact will be on your blood cells. The result of exposure to toxic chemicals or radiation could include anemia as well as immune system suppression or depression.

3. The green-colored object in the middle of the upper chest labeled "Timo" is the THYMUS GLAND. Some of the cells from the bone marrow will migrate to the thymus gland to become T-cells or T-lymphocytes, and that's where the "T" comes from: THYMUS. Some subtypes include the T-helper (CD4), T-killer (CD8), and more. Yes, we are talking aobut the same CD4 that the HIV/AIDS industry oversimplifies and distorts when using so-called "CD4 counts" to advance their agenda.

4. The structure labeled "bazo" is the SPLEEN, which serves as a filter for old and broken red blood cells and a reservoir for MONOCYTES and other WBCs. It also filters out microbes that have been bound to antibodies, and some antibody production occurs here as well.

5. RBCs and WBCs travel as components of blood pumped by the heart through arteries, capillaries and veins located throughout the body. This is your CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. But there is another system, the LYMPHATIC SYSTEM, which also carries WBCs (but not RBCs) through LYMPH VESSELS and connected LYMPH NODES ("Lymph glands"), Lymph nodes are the little bead-like structures which filter and trap debris and pathogens (see diagram). Together they are called LYMPHATICS. There is no pump like the heart to move lymph through the lymphatic vessels. It moves when you exercise. That is one of the main reasons why exercise is important to a healthy immune system.

NEXT: The many different cell types of the immune system: how they develop, how they interact and function, etc.