The Amazing Immune System!

By: Manuela Cortes

Table of Contents
My Immune System How Does the Immune System Work? The Importance of my Immune System The Parts of my Immune System The Job of my Immune System The Process that Happens in my Immune System Enemies of the Immune System Keeping your Immune System Healthy Vaccines Did you know....? Conclusion Activity Glossary Bibliography p3 p4 p5 p6 p7 p8 p11 p14 p15 p16 p17 p18 p19 p20

My Immune System

Have you ever wondered what body system keeps you from getting sick? It is called the immune system! When germs get inside your body, your immune system is ready to attack.
Denitions: Immune: means to be protected.

How does the Immune System Work?

Every time you get sick, millions of white blood cells work to get rid of germs. Then special blood cells, called lymphocytes , remember the germs, so that the next time it comes, your body will know how to ght it off quickly. There is a whole process that happens in your immune system, you will read about it later on.

A white blood cell

Denitions: White blood cells: cells that ght off germs. They are called white blood cells becuase of their color. Lymphocytes: white blood cells that remember germs and how to ght them off.

The Importance of My Immune System

Your immune system is very important to your bodys health and keeping you alive and well. Without it you would probably get sick every day. Sometimes, your immune system can ght off bacteria before you even realize you are sick. You know your immune system is working if you get better after you are sick. Thank your immune system!

The picture shows how your immune system defends your body. The shield represents your immune system, which is ghting off the germs and infections.

Bacteria: infections that get in your body.

The Parts of the Immune System

Some of the main parts of the immune system are: skin, brain, white blood cells, ear wax, stomach acid, mucus,, cilia, lymph nodes and lymphocytes.
Skin: outside layer of the body. Brain: an organ in your head. Ear wax: wax in your ear. Stomach acid: acids in your stomach. Mucus: green stuff in your nose. Cilia: are microscopic hairs in your nose. Lymph nodes: carry white blood cells. FYI: Skin, brain, earwax, stomach acid, mucus and cilia, defend the body from germs getting into the body. Lymphocytes, white blood cells and lymph nodes work, if germs do get inside the body.

The Job of the Immune System

Every part of the immune system has it's own job. Your skin keeps organs inside your body and germs outside. Your brain has the power to say NO! to drugs and poisons. It also controls what the immune system does. Your white blood cells kill bacteria that mess up the work in the immune system. Earwax keeps germs from getting in through your ears. Stomach acid works so if you accidentally eat germs, your stomach acid kills them. Mucus and cilia work together. If you inhale germs through your nostrils, mucus traps them and cilia will push mucus into your nose. Last but not least, lymph nodes.They carry lymphocytes wherever needed. For example: if there is a germ in your throat, lymph nodes can easily carry lymphocytes to the throat so that they remember the germ.

The Process that Happens in the Immune System

Although there are so many parts that keep germs out, sometimes germs do get in. Still, your immune system has a process, so, when germs do get in,it can ght it off.

Your white blood cells go around the body in blood streams or tissues looking for germs. When they nd a germ, they try to kill it with chemicals or eat them. Then lymphocytes remember the germ. A lot of times though, there are not enough white blood cells. That is when your fantastic lymph nodes come to action. The lymph nodes will carry white blood cells to wherever needed as fast as it can. That way your immune system can kill germs faster.

The picture shows a white blood cell, called killer T cell, defending the body from getting sick on virus-infected cell, cancer cell and bacterium-infected cell.

Killer T cell: a killer cell that attacks germs or viruses.

B cells are the white blood cells that nd bacteria. Once it nds bacteria it waits for helper T cell to activate B cell. Once activated B cell divides in two, plasma cell and lymphocytes. Plasma cells produce antibodies that attack the invader. Lymphocytes remember the germ. B cell: cell that circulates around the body looking for bacteria. Helper T cell: helps activate B cell and killer T cell. Plasma cell: cell that produces antibodies. Antibodies: Molecules that kill bacteria or germs.

Enemies of the Immune System

Usually when a germ gets into your body, your immune system does not really get affected. Your white blood cells ght off the germ. Some may die in the process of killing it, but it does not harm your immune system. Sometimes though, there are illnesses and diseases that can badly affect your immune system. There are some illnesses your immune system can not cure.

One example is diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which your body can't handle sugar properly. Everybody has sugar in their blood, since it is the body's main source of energy. People with diabetes cant eat a lot of sugar; but even to people without diabetes, it is still bad to eat too much sugar. Fact: sugar is not always white, it can also be found in food such as fruit.

Sugar can be found in fruit.

Diabetes: a disease where your body can't process sugar. Sugar: the body's main source of energy.

Sometimes with the help of medicines, your immune system can ght off germs, infections, viruses and other bad things that can make you feel bad. For example, sometimes the doctor might give you antibiotics to ght off an infection.

AIDS are a very big problem to your immune system. They are diseases your immune system cannot cure, because the disease makes your immune system stop working. They can't be cured, not even with medicines.

Drugs, poisons, smoking and many other things can affect your immune system. But those are your decisions. Luckily you have a brain and a voice to say NO!

Keeping your Immune System Healthy

Although you can get sick and get serious illnesses, diseases and viruses, there are also ways to prevent infections and malfunctions in your immune system. Here are some ways that you can help your immune system: 1) Do not get stressed. Stress is very bad for your immune system.

2) Wash your hands regularly to prevent infections.

3) Eat nutritious food.

4) Get a lot of exercis e.

5) Get enough sleep. Kids should usually get 10 or more hours of sleep every day.

6) Get regular medical checkups.

Infections: an act or fact of infecting; state of being infected.

Vaccines
Another way to keep your immune system healthy is by getting vaccines. Vaccines are a little bit of germs that doctors inject into you. Since your lymphocytes remember the germ, if the infection ever comes to you, your body remembers how ght it off.

Vaccines: a little bit of germs doctors inject into you.

Did you know?

When you get fever your body is heating up so germs don't reproduce.

Vaccines have cured millions of people!!

There are trillions of white blood cells in your body even when you are not sick!

The number one way to boost the immune system is to reduce stress.

There are friendly bacteria inside of you!

Conclusion

The immune system is a very important system. I learned that the immune system is like a shield, protecting your body from infections. I learned that the immune system is also really important so you don't get sick on the same germ every day. I learned that keeping your immune system healthy, is really important because that way you are keeping yourself healthy and sickness free. I learned so many new things throughout the experience, and I hope you did,too.Go immune system!!!

Activity
Name 3 parts of the immune system: 1 2 3

What can you do to keep your immune system healthy? ______________________________

Why are lymphocytes important? ________________ ________________

What does it mean to be immune? ______________

Glossary
Antibodies: Molecules that kill bacteria or germs. B cell: cell that circulates around the body looking for bacteria. Brain: an organ in your head. Cilia: microscopic hairs. Diabetes: a disease where your body can't process sugar. Ear wax: wax in your ear. Helper T cell: helps activate B cell and killer T cell. Immune: means to be protected. Infections: an act or fact of infecting; state of being infected. Killer T cell: a killer cell that attacks germs or viruses. Lymph nodes: carry blood cells. Lymphocytes: white blood cells that remember germs and how to ght them off. Mucus: green stuff in your nose. Plasma cell: cell that produces antibodies. Skin: outside layer of the body. Stomach acids: acids in your stomach. Sugar: the body's main source of energy. Tissue: a group of cells working together to perform a function. Vaccines: a little bit of germs doctors inject into you. White blood cells: cells that ght off germs.

Bibliography
Websites: Cyh.com wordpress.com kidshealth.org dictionary.com

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