The immune system is a complex system of cells, proteins, tissues, organs and messengers that interact with each other, to synthesis specific cells to fight any organism that invades the system. This is termed an immune response. Once the body has mounted this immune response, the system stores the information in respect of organisms that have previously attacked the body, and has the capacity to eliminate those organisms more rapidly if it tries to invade the system again. These immune cells are present in the bone marrow, adenoids, tonsils, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes.

The function of the Immune system

1. Fight disease causing organisms, which include viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and to remove it from the body.
2. To recognise any harmful or toxic substances from the environment and to neutralise it, so that no long- term damage is caused
3. To fight cancer cells, so that those cells don’t create disease.

Diseases of Immunity

The immune system involves multiple complex pathways, and disease can occur as a result of a deficiency or absence of any of the pathways involved.

Children who present with recurrent disease, frequent admissions into hospital, frequent use of antibiotic therapy, should be investigated for a possible immune disorder