Immune System

Intense training without time to recover can reduce immune function.          -this is why we can get sick after training without a recovery period.  If the cells are stressed it can increase allergies, susceptibility to illness, auto-immune function.

innate immunity + adaptive immunity== IMMUNE SYSTEM 

• INNATE IMMUNITY 
• is able to recognize patterns in molecular structures that identify it as bacterial and respond
• includes natural physical barriers, like skin, mucous membranes, cells like: macrophages & neutrophils (both ingest and destroy pathogens)
  
• neutrophils (kill) are part of white blood cell system. they quickly move toward the site of infection, engulf bacteria & neutralize them using enzymes/ reactive oxygen species.
• macrophages(cleanup) are larger phagacytic cells that engulf pathagens/ dead & damaged cells.  
• call for supports!  they send tiny samples of data about the pathogen to the T-CELL on the Adaptive Immunity side, initiating a targeted immune response.

• ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY 
• slower to respond
• highly specialized ability to remember and recognize pathogens enabling more effective responses to new pathogens.
• utilizes T & B Lymphosytes
• T-CELLS crucial component of immunity.  
• mature in the thymus gland
• HELPER T-CELLS  assist making antibodies and activating macrophages
• CYTOTOXIC T-CELLS kill infected or cancerous cells
• REGULATORY CELLS 
• B CELLS  produce antibodies that recognize & neutralize specific pathagens.
• MEMORY B-CELLS hold long-term immunity
• NATURAL KILLER (NK) CELL bridge innate + adaptive immunity to hunt bad cells down and kill them without cause
• K-CELLS interact

Cytokines: immune system messengers

small proteins secreted by immune cells acting, effectively, as a communication system. can control cell behavior. 

KEY CYTOKINES:   Interleukins: 

small subset of cytokines that mediate communication between white blood cells. 

KEY CYTOKINES:   Interferons: 

interfere with viral replication- activating immune cells and increase recognition of infection (or tumor cells)

KEY CYTOKINES:   Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF): 

involved in inflammation, immune cell modulation, apoptosis.