Applied Microbiology

Microbial Immunology & Infection Control

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The term immunity defines an array or an alignment of complex system of biological structures, methods and processes which work in sync to protect the organism from infection causing microbes. It works in such a way, that although might seem negating in the first instance but are for the “greater good” of the system in the long run. For the orderly functioning of the immune system it primarily detects various infectious agents thereby preventing the body from falling prey to these infectious agents; but the most essential task of the immune system is to categorize good from the bad, and complications arise, when the immune system malfunctions and starts eating away our healthy tissues, or destroying the healthy cells. Furthermore, along the course of evolution and mutations, these microbes have re-emerged stronger than ever and rapidly, and they too have their methods in avoiding the detection by the immune system, and are now quite adept in neutralising any attempts of detection by the T-cells. Along the lines of this evolution of pathogens, our immune system has also amped up their defence mechanisms in order to counter-act the antigens of pathogens. The defence mechanisms against different infectious diseases are possible due to the antimicrobial peptides known as defensins, which aid in enhancing the efficacy of phagocytosis. Vertebrates have highly evolved immune system which is able to recognise specific pathogens more effectively. Disorders caused by the malfunctioning of the immune system are  autoimmune diseases, which include cancer, diabetes, inflammation, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis among others. Infectious diseases are primarily caused by pathogenic microorganisms, like pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites or nematodes, most of which are a part of the normal flora of our skin and system and are usually harmless- unless they find an “opening window”, which is when the immune system is weak or  compromised, and wreak havoc with the system; hence, these are termed as opportunistic pathogens.