This remarkable system is made up of specialized cells, tissues, and organs that work together in a coordinated dance to recognize, neutralize, and eliminate threats. It's a complex choreography, involving:
Innate immunity: This is our first line of defense, a rapid and non-specific response that acts like a bouncer at the door, stopping anything unfamiliar from entering. Think of it as the body's built-in alarm system.
Adaptive immunity: This is a more targeted and sophisticated response, like a highly trained special forces unit. It remembers past encounters with specific pathogens and develops customized defenses to fight them off more effectively the next time. This is why we can be immune to certain diseases after getting vaccinated or having them once.
