Understanding Body Defenses and Diseases: A Comprehensive Guide

Non-specific defenses

act against any type of microorganism or foreign particle. This action is carried out by phagocytes: white blood cells that trap and eliminate pathogenic microorganisms. This process is called phagocytosis.

INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE

is a non-specific defense mechanism. When pathogens get through the external barriers, the blood cells dilate to increase the blood flow. The result is pus.

Specific defenses

act against specific microorganisms or foreign molecules. Other types of leukocytes, called lymphocytes, produce proteins called antibodies. Antibodies are specific for each microorganism and destroy or inactivate the invading agents.

INCUBATION - this is the time between the moment the pathogenic agents invade organisms and the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease.

MANIFESTATION - symptoms and signs of the disease appear as a result of the damage in the tissues.

CONVALESCENCE - once the pathogens are eliminated, the body repairs the damage caused by the infection.

HEALTHY HABITS:

• Maintain daily hygiene
• Consume food and drink only in good condition
• Use disinfectants to clean areas of the house where microorganisms could grow and cause infections
• Keep pets clean and healthy and take them to the vet at least once a year
• Use antiseptics such as school
• Keep our immune system healthy
• Use medicines carefully and correctly and always with a medical prescription

Vaccination is a very effective method to prevent some infectious diseases and has saved countless lives.

Serum therapy and chemotherapy are 2 methods of curing infectious diseases once they have been contracted.

NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASES:

• Diseases affecting systems in the body: disease of the circulatory system, called cardiovascular diseases, are frequent and serious, affecting the heart or blood vessels
• Cancer: is produced when certain cells, for reasons that are still not fully understood, suffer a transformation and begin to divide very quickly and uncontrollably. As a result of this, a mass of abnormal cells is formed. This is called a tumor.
• Malnutrition diseases: these are caused by poor nutrition that is lacking certain nutrients. Examples are hypovitaminosis, anemia, or scurvy.
• Traumatic injuries: these are caused by accidents that can be at home, work, in traffic, playing sports, or during leisure.
• Endocrine and metabolic injuries: these are by the excessive or deficient secretion of a hormone or by malfunctions in the metabolic reactions that take place in our organism's cells. Some examples are obesity and diabetes.
• Mental and behavioral disorders: these cause changes in reasoning, behavior, or emotions that cause physical or psychological problems and difficulty to integrate in society.
• Genetic disease: these are disorders that are caused, at least in part, by the genes of the affected person. This can be due to a duplication or loss of genetic material.
• Parasitic disease: these are caused by parasites - organisms that live off of other organisms and cause damage or lesions.