Immune System Facts for Kids: Did you know that we all have an army of strong fighters in our body? That’s the immune system. Let’s discover five incredible facts about the immune system
Our immune system protects our bodies from substances called antigens and pathogens, which make us ill. Pathogens are viruses, parasites and bacteria that are harmful to our health. When they get into our bodies they can cause us to become sick. Our immune system works in two ways, it stops diseases from entering our bodies and also attacks diseases that do enter.
The protection given by the immune system is called immunity. Humans and some animals have two basic types of immunity. These are natural immunity and acquired immunity. Natural immunity works against any pathogens that enter or try to enter the body. An example of this would be the skin as it blocks many things from entering the body, mucus in the nose and earwax in the ears also blocks antigens. Acquired immunity is when certain cells in the body remember the types of antigens they have attacked in the past, which allows them to attack these antigens more strongly the next time they enter the body.
A type of white blood cells, called lymphocytes, play a vital role in the acquired immune system. There are two different kinds of lymphocytes. These are B cells and T cells. B cells release antibodies, which attack antigens that enter the body. T cells are further divided into helper cells and killer cells. Helper T cells produce substances that help new lymphocytes grow. Killer T cells destroy body cells that are infected by antigens. These cells enter the bloodstream when they are needed to defend against disease.
The immune system can also overreact to antigens that are not harmful to the body. Allergies are an example of this type of problem. When some people breathe in pollen from plants or eat peanuts the immune system attacks the pollen or food particles. The attack causes sneezing, itching, or other more serious symptoms. If you are allergic to peanuts or eggs it is because your immune system thinks that these substances are harmful to your body.
When you get symptoms of the flu it means that your immune system is working to fight it. A fever is caused by your immune system in response to an infection, it is not the actual infection. Your body increases its temperature to activate the immune system and create a harsher environment that’s harder for viruses and bacteria to live in. When your fever ends, your immune system has killed off the bad bacteria and you begin to feel better. The next time you get a runny nose, it means that your immune system is working to make you better.
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