Evolution Of Immunity And The Invertebrates :: essays research papers

Evolution of immunity and the Invertebrates"Article Summery" forebode "Immunity and the Invertebrates" Periodical ScientificAmerican Nov, 1996 Author Gregory Beck and Gail S. Habicht Pages 60 - 71 TotalPages Read 9     The complicated immune systems of humans and different mammals evolved overquite a long time - in near rather surprising ways. In 1982 a Russian zoologistnamed Elie Metchnikoff find a unique property of starfish larva. When heinserted a unusual object by dint of its membrane, tiny cells would try to ingestthe invader through the process of phagocytosis. It was already known thatphagocytosis occurred in specialized mammal cells scarcely never in something lesscomplex like a starfish. This husking led him to understand that phagocytosisplayed a much broader role, it was a positive mechanism of protection in theanimal kingdom. Metchnikoffs further studies showed that the host confessionsystem of all animals today were prese nt millions of years before when hey were vertical beginning to evolve. His studies opened up the new field of comparativeimmunology. relative immunologists studied the immune defenses of past andcurrent creatures. They gained further insight into how resistivity works.     The most basic requirement of an immune system is to distinguish in the midst ofones own cells and "non-self" cells. The second job is to transcend the non-self cells. When a alien object enters the body, several things happen. Bloodstops flowing, the liberty system begins to eliminate unwanted microbes withphagocytic white blood cells. This defensive mechanism is possess by allanimals with an innate system of right. Innate cellular immunity is believedto be the earliest form of immunity. Another form of innate immunity iscomplement, composed of 30 different proteins of the blood.     If these mechanisms do not work to batter an invader, vertebrates relyon a nother response acquired immunity. Acquired immunity is mainly dealt byspecialized white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes travel throughoutthe blood and lymph glands waiting to attack molecules called antigens.Lymphocytes are made of deuce classes B and T. B lymphocytes drop antibodieswhile T help produce antibodies and serve to recognize antigens. AcquiredImmunity is highly effective but takes days to activate and succeed because ofits complex nature. Despite this, acquired immunity offers one great featureimmunological memory. immunological Memory allows the lymphocytes to recognizepreviously encountered antigens making reaction time faster. For this reason, we break dance immunizations or booster shots to children.     So it has been established that current vertebrates have two defensemechanisms innate and acquired, but what of older organisms ? Both mechanismssurprisingly ample can be found in almost all organisms (specifically