Most people view mucus as gross and unpleasant. Why might mucus production be el
ID: 88720 • Letter: M
Question
Most people view mucus as gross and unpleasant. Why might mucus production be elevated during an infection and what purpose does it serve? Why are neutrophils activated to maximum killing capacity only after they leave the bloodstream in response to a localized infection? Generally, it is easier for the pattern-recognition receptors of the innate immune system to recognize bacterial pathogens than viral pathogens. Why is this the case? Most people associate mast cells with allergic reactions. Why are they key to the innate immune response? Cells involved in the innate immune response, such as macrophages and do not recognize specific microbes. How do they know that a microbe is present to which they should respond?Explanation / Answer
1.Most people associate mucus to be present only in the nasal cavity. But our body produces mucus at various sites including:
2.Neutrophils migrate to sites of inflammation and infection where they recognize and phagocytose invading microorganisms. They are unique in thier cytotoxic mechanism that includes cell polarization, delivery of receptors, and activation of integrins at the leading edge of neutrophils which are migrating toward the chemo attractants. The reason is that neutrophils recognise the receptors on the pathogens, when they come in contact, and specifically form neutrophil extracellular traps or NETs to trap and kill the pathogens.
3.In order for cells of the immune system to recognise a foriegn invader , receptors should be present on its surface which is evidently seen in bacterial pathogens and in abundance. But a viral pathogen when it enters the body may not be recognised as they have a lipid envelope around them and their structure is mainly made up of a condensed DNA.
4. Though mast cells have become infamous due to the role they play in allergy and anaphylaxis, they nevertheless play an important and protective role as they are intimately associated with our body’s first line of defense. Various studies on mast cell and their defence mechanismas part of the body's innate immunity show their involvement in wound healing, angiogenesis, immune tolerance, defense against pathogens, and blood–brain barrier functions.
5.Our immune system recognizes cells based on the proteins present on the surface of cells. Viruses, bacteria, and other foreign cells are recognized as being different from our own cells and are attacked by the immune system. In certain conditions, the body’s own cells change or mutate, giving the cell the ability to multiply continuously. Such mutations often are the cause of cancer. But the immune system has the ability to recognize mutated cells and attack them before they can grow into a tumor.
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