How the immune system fights off invaders, from splinters to vaccines
Our immune systems consist of two parts: the innate (or general) immune system and the adaptive (or acquired) immune system. In this video, family physician Dr. Erica Zelfand explains the basics of these two systems, illuminating how they each fight germs (like bacteria, viruses, and fungi) and foreign substances (like chemicals and splinters). Dr. Zelfand also defines: antigens, antibodies, inflammation, phagocytes, natural killer cells, B cells, and T cells, and explains the brilliant cascade by which the innate and adaptive immune systems work together to protect us from illness year-round and life-long. Brief explanations of immunological memory and vaccination are also included herein.
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