Diapedesis and Chemotaxis - Essay Example

"Diapedesis and Chemotaxis" is a good example of a paper on the immune system.
Two cellular phenomenons that occur in our immune system are diapedesis and chemotaxis. Together these two processes help prevent infection by fighting off antigens and other infected cells, particularly during any injury, trauma, or when bacteria is present in the body.

In our body, blood vessels act as carriers, transporting blood throughout our entire body. They are part of our circulatory system. These blood vessels are lined with a membrane layer of endothelial cells that protect blood cells from what lies outside of the cells.

Diapedesis occurs when someone has an injury or infection and white blood cells travel past that lining layer of protective endothelial cells. Diapedesis is considered to be a blood vessel to escape. White blood cells then surround the blood vessels and tissues, fighting infection, and to protect the tissue surrounding it. White blood cells slip through into the blood vessels, causing them to enlarge. This situation then causes the body to release chemicals to help defy the infection, protecting the rest of the body from inflammation and infection.

Neutrophils are activated to create the diapedesis process. Chemotaxis then occurs when the neutrophil migrates to the source of injury to increase immunity and reduce redness, swelling, and infection.

Diapedesis often causes inflammation in the body as a means to conquer the infection or injury. White blood cells act as warriors against the injured tissues to keep the infection from spreading throughout the body. Without this process, our body would not hold up against antigens and could, therefore, ruin our entire immune system and cause the body to shut down while being taken over by infection. Leukocytes are released out of the circulatory system to the infected site.

Chemotaxis occurs when bacteria are present in the body caused by infection. It starts to

travel according to where the body chemicals send them. Generally, the chemotaxis occurrence follows a pathway toward the chemicals that have been released in the body. Neutrophils quickly travel to the area of injury and therefore chase bacteria and will then consume the bacterium before it can spread to other regions.

Together these two processes work as a part of an inflammatory response. Killer lymphocytes attempt to attack infected cells that result from injury or trauma as an autoimmune response. B lymphocytes produce antibodies to fight against the antigens present in the body.

Together these cells work to fight against the enemy (antigens). Through these processes, chemotaxis takes leukocytes to an inflamed area within hours of injury to begin the body's slow but steady healing process. Chemokines stimulate leukocyte diapedesis and chemotaxis in the extravascular space, therefore creating a cause and effect relationship between the two processes in the occurrence of fighting antigens off during immunity mechanisms in our bodies.

If any of these processes fail to occur, it could end in disaster for our entire immune system and our bodies would be consumed with infection and making us very ill. It is because of these two processes, in addition to all other cells act like troops against bacteria, fighting off the bad and beginning to return the body to its normal functioning state.