The Immune System

human body · health · defense

Your body's defender. The immune system is a network inside you that protects against diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Friend or foe. It can tell the difference between your own healthy cells and outside invaders, even spotting tiny things like a wood splinter.

The quick squad. The innate immune system gives a fast, ready-made response to lots of different threats right away.

The learning squad. The adaptive immune system remembers germs it has met before, so it can fight them better the next time.

Cancer catcher too. Besides germs, your immune system can also detect and respond to cancer cells inside the body.