Published
Author: Mensah Alkebu-Lan
Table of Contents #
Your Immune System #
There are some of us who devote our lives to studying the human immune system, so I doubt a few paragraphs will give it justice. In this section, we will cover the basics.
Your immune system protects you from disease by fighting off its germs such as bacteria or viruses. It can distinguish between normal, healthy cells and unhealthy cells by recognizing a variety of "danger" cues called danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).
Components of the Immune System #
The main parts of the immune system are:
- white blood cells
- antibodies
- complement system
- lymphatic system - includes lymph nodes which trap microbes.
- spleen
- bone marrow - contains stem cells that can develop into a variety of cell types.
- Thymus
Types of Immunity #
The three different types of immunity are:
- Innate immunity - It’s called innate because it is the protection you are born with. Also called natural immunity. It is your body’s first line of defense against antigens. Includes barriers such as your skin and mucous membranes. For example, your skin can act as a barrier to prevent antigens from entering the body.
- Active immunity - Also called adaptive immunity.
- Passive Immunity - An immunity that was borrowed from another source. So what are some examples of how passive immunity can occur? Mother’s breast milk can carry maternal antibodies that can provide immunity to a disease for her baby in the short term. Also, for a newborn baby, passive immunity can be acquired from its mother through the placenta.
Now that we know how the immune system works, we can talk about immunizations (vaccines). An immunization allows the body to produce antibodies that will protect the person from future attack from the antigen.
Bright Yellow Watermelons #
A yellow watermelon is a fruit and a vegetable. This type of watermelon gets its bright yellow color from a lack of lycopene. Lycopene is what gives the traditional variety of red watermelons and tomatoes their red color. These traditional watermelons get their red color from cross breeding.
They contain health benefits from vitamins A & C, potassium, and powerful antioxidants. And so for those looking to boost their immune system, this may be an attractive choice. It may be difficult to find these in a typical grocery store. You may need to seek out a reputable farmer’s market. Both yellow and red fleshed watermelons have a green rind.
Bright Yellow Watermelons on Amazon #
References #
- What is Yellow Watermelon and Why Its Different Than Red.
- Immune system explained - Better Health Channel.
- Immune System and Disorders | Autoimmune Disease | MedlinePlus.
- Overview of the Immune System | NIH.
- Immune System (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth.