Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 9th Edition by Scott Powers, Edward Howley

Exercise 1

Describe how the innate and acquired immune systems work as a unit to protect the body against infection.

Step 1 of 4

Vertebrate body has a highly evolved and complex immune system. The following are the functions of a vertebrate immune system:

• Differentiate between the self and non-self antigens

• Tolerate the self antigen and react against the foreign antigens

• Recognize and eliminate the abnormal self (molecules or cells)

• Immunological memory

To perform these functions, the immune system has two functional arms called the innate immunity and acquired immunity.