The immune system: basics

In short: The immune system protects the body from pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. It recognises what is foreign and fights it but normally spares the body’s own tissue.

In more detail: A distinction is made between the innate and the acquired (adaptive) immune system.

In detail

• Innate: Fast, non-specific defence: skin, mucous membranes, phagocytes, inflammation.
• Acquired: Learns to know pathogens; B cells form antibodies, T cells kill infected cells.
• Memory: After an infection or vaccination the system remembers (impfungen-grundlagen).
• Fever: Supports defence, is a sign of the immune response.
• Allergy: Overreaction to harmless substances (heuschnupfen-und-allergien).
• Autoimmune diseases: The system attacks the body’s own tissue.
• Strengthening: Sleep, exercise, balanced diet, stress reduction (schlafhygiene-besser-schlafen).
• Myth: “Boosting the immune system” is hardly supported scientifically.