PSY 325 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Peripheral Nervous System, Endocrine System, Psychoneuroimmunology
Document Summary
Immune system: consists of tissues, organs, and processes that protect the body from invasion: may be the mechanism by which stress causes disease, how the immune system works globally: Locates foreign microorganisms, mutant cells, or damaged cells: activates processes to eliminate them. Physiology of the immune system: components of the immune system. Lymphocytes: type of white blood cells found in lymph: main function is to defend against foreign substances. 2 ways immune system does this: nonspecific (general) response. Nonspecific immune system responses: when foreign substances attack the body . First, they must pass the skin and mucous membranes. If able to do so, they then face two nonspecific mechanisms: Inflammation: restores tissues that have been damaged by invaders. The immune system can also respond to specific invaders by targeting a specific invader: cell-mediated immunity:t-cells recognize the invader and attack it, b-cells secrete antibodies: are manufactured in response to a specific invader.
