Question

What immune system obstacles would bacteria encounter as they make initial contact with the skin of a hand and then enter the body through a cut in the skin? Discuss these obstacles in the order that the bacteria would encounter them

Answer 1

When bacteria make initial contact with the skin, they need to overcome the salt concentration of the skin, if the can thrive in the skin with that salt concentration, then can then enter through the cut in the skin.

After entering through the cut, the first obstacle they face are the macrophages which phagocytose the bacteria and initial inflammation, simultaneously bacteria surviving macrophages also keep dividing.

Those bacteria which escaped the action of macrophages are now acted upon by neutrophils which kills the bacteria.

Now dendritic cells becomes active and collects the information of the antigens shared by the bacteria to activate specific T cells, which then activate helper T cells, which in turn activate B cells. B cells secrete lots of antibodies specific to the bacteria which binds to the antigens of the bacteria and neutralizes them.