Host Defense Mechanisms in Microbial Infection

Certain aspects of the chapter, Host Defense Mechanisms in Microbial Infection, are outstanding. Other features, however, might bear improvement. For instance, one or two of the chapter's illustrations could possibly cause confusion.

Chapter 6 begins with a very broad delineation of the human body's defense mechanisms. It states that there are both nonspecific and specific defenses. The nonspecific defenses are directed against foreign agents; whereas, the specific defenses are designed to fend off parasitic microorganisms. The chapter then embarks on an analysis of the body's nonspecific defense mechanisms. The content of this first section is very good. The following different types of defense mechanisms are mentioned: (1) entrance barriers; (2) blood barriers; (3) the lymphatic system; (4) the mononuclear phagocyte system (MNPS); (4) phagocytosis; and (5) the inflammatory response (1:112-121). Entrance barriers include both the skin and mucus membranes. The chapter includes a thorough review of skin anatomy and physiology. It also describes how the epithelia of certain internal organs such as the stomach and genitourinary tract provides protection. The subsection ends by describing how even minor wounds can compromise entrance barriers.

The second type of nonspecific resistance mechanism discussed is the blood. The chapter notes that by merely circulating the blood provides tissues with oxy

. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Microbial Infection, Resistance Infection, Immune System, Cellular Immunity, Mechanisms Immunization, Immunodeficiency Diseases, Antigens Antibodies, Development Function, Literature Cited, defense mechanisms, immune system, Humoral Immunity, chapter 6, mechanisms microbial infection, inflammatory response, resistance infection, humoral immunity, nonspecific resistance, cellular immunity, microbial infection, entrance barriers, defense mechanisms microbial, nonspecific defense mechanisms, throughout body 1112-121, immunity cellular immunity,
Approximate Word count = 1099
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page)